Champion's Revived Glory
by Epsil0nCha0s
Summary: Five years have passed since Ash Ketchum disappeared. The Arc Tournament is a global competition where only the best trainers come together, battling to become a world champion trainer. On an island in the ocean, cut off from civilization, a familiar man received an invitation to the Arc Tournament. And with his return, he must face his emotions. Both old and new. AshxLeaf pairing
1. Chapter 1

In the small town of Pallet, home to the legendary Professor Oak, a house remained for years. But inside, it has changed dramatically in emotion. A woman lived alone with a single pokemon by her side, frequently visited by the Professor for company. But now, she had many children resting in the house for weeks at a time. They weren't hers, just friends. A certain teenage female, a brunette named May, sat in a room filled with pokemon posters, cards, toys, figurines and broken alarm clocks. She wore a light blue blouse with sleeves half-down her forearms, along with green short-shorts with an orange strip around the bottom's edge. To top it off, she held her hair in the usual upside-down V shape with a green bandana with a small pokeball imprint on the side. For hours each day, she would sit down on the small bed and look around the room, remembering the better days of her childhood.

"May?" she heard a feminine voice call to her. She looked to the door to see a head of short orange hair looking in. "Do you want to be alone?" she asked.

"No, I don't mind. Come on in." she said, patting the bed beside her. The female stepped in and sat down. Misty now wore deep yellow pants ending just under the knees, with a yellow t-shirt with the bottom tied off to the side. "What are you doing today, Misty?" May asked.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe watch TV...go fishing..." Misty said quietly. May nodded, looking at some photographs on the wall.

"I can't believe he has pictures of those moments." Misty said, giving a quiet chuckle. "After all these years of us being mad at him, he kept pictures to remind himself he still owed us new bikes." Misty giggled. May joined in, it was true. The pictures showed a boy laughing nervously while looking at a bike burnt to a crisp.

"Yeah...those were the days..." May said quietly, rubbing her arm.

"Come on, May, we have to move on. No matter how much we wish, it's not going to bring him back. After five years, I doubt he'll just walk through the front door and say 'Hi, I'm home!'" Misty said, giggling behind her hand.

"You're right...but these five years have been so difficult...I just feel someone's listening to our prayers, and is going to bring him back." May replied.

"You could be right, May, but for now we have to stay strong. It's what he would want." Misty told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly, there was a tapping at the door.

"Misty? May? Are you in there?" a feminine voice rang.

"Dawn? You can come in." May said. The door opened up and a blunette girl stepped in, holding her hands in front of her. She wore a pink sleeveless top with three small red hearts on the left front side, along with tight pink pants.

"Can you come downstairs for a few minutes? Ms. Ketchum wants to talk to us." Dawn said quietly, pointing out the door.

"Okay, we'll be right down." Misty said. Dawn smiled and left the room, then Misty stood up. "Come on, May, let's go." she said, pulling May's hand.

"Alright, alright." May said, standing up and walking to the door. Misty followed the brunette out the door and down the stairs.

"Oh, girls, thank you for coming down on short notice." Delia said, smiling at the girls as they sat on the couch beside Dawn.

"No problem at all, Ms. Ketchum. What can we do for you?" Misty asked.

"Oh, I wouldn't like anything from you, really. I already have enough helpers with the cooking and cleaning around here." Delia said, pointing into the kitchen. At the same moment, two figures stepped into the doorway. On the left stood a man with slightly darkened skin and short, brown spiky hair. He wore a dark orange vest with a light brown undershirt, along with dark brown cargo pants. His name was Brock, former Pewter Gym Leader. And on the right stood an equal-aged man with short, green spiky hair. He wore a black dress shirt with patching pants, with two yellow buttons down the chest with an open collar, leaving a green bow-tie and open wrist cuffs.

"No problem at all, Ms. Ketchum." the brown-skinned man said with a smile. His eyes were currently black lines, so no one knew his real facial expression.

"I'm very pleased to have helped." the green-haired man said, giving a bow.

"Oh, Cilan, will you cut that out?" a feminine voice spoke. Everyone turned to see a light brown-skinned girl close the front door behind her, holding a basket of fruit varieties. She wore a white blouse top with the wrists larger than they should have been, with pink lines around the wrists and a pink collar. A pink skirt around her waist with a pink bow on the side, and white leg-warmers. She had a large amount of hair behind her, two ponytails emerged the top with yellow hair clips.

"Iris, it's what a gentleman does." Cilan replied as she walked into the kitchen past him.

"Yeah, whatever you say. I say it's just a habit you can drop anytime." Iris said childishly, crossing her arms after putting the fruit on the table.

"Thank you for finding some fruit, Iris. I know there's no major forest around here, but some fruit can be really nice on a day like today." Delia spoke, pointing outside at the sunlight.

"No problem at all, Ms. Ketchum. I enjoy the outdoors anyway." Iris said with a cheerful smile.

"Your cheerfulness is something you can drop anytime, Iris." Cilan chuckled.

"Hey! Excuse me for being nice, Mr. Dress-Up!" Iris replied hastily.

"Now, now, you two. Don't start this again." Misty said, holding her head. Iris huffed and turned away from Cilan while he laughed.

"Come on, Cilan, remember what we've talked about." Brock said as he stepped back into the kitchen.

"In or out of the kitchen?" he asked as he followed him in. Dawn, Misty and May giggled at their behavior, while Iris glared at them.

"What? I don't suppose you fight with anyone?" Iris asked.

"Well, there was Paul and Kenny..." Dawn put her finger to her chin.

"As well as Tracey..." Misty added.

"I always fought with my brother." May said.

"Wait a minute. Didn't you want to talk to us, Ms. Ketchum?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, about nothing important. I just wanted to say thank you for staying here and livening this house up, I was in the dumps since...that..." Delia said, trailing off quietly.

"It's okay, Ms. Ketchum." Misty said, pulling the woman into an embrace.

"We're all sad." Dawn said, joining them.

"He'll come back, I know it." May added, joining as well.

"Thank you, girls. At times, I think you three could be my daughters." Delia said, pulling them closer. "Wait...where's Iris?" she asked, looking around.

"Iris, calm down!"

"I will not, mr. barbie boy! You're such a child!"

The four women laughed together at the sound of the argument between the two Unova natives. May looked out the window with a weak smile, wondering. "..._Where are you...?_" she thought sadly.

"All right, despite the argument, dinner is served!" Brock called out. Suddenly, everyone was in the kitchen at the table.

_**Across the sea, on a small island in the ocean...**_

A man sat on the beach. He had his legs crossed, his arms extended to the sides. His head was low, his face hidden in a shadow. He wore a simple black t-shirt with brown cargo shorts. His lips moved in slow movement, while a quiet humming noise came from his mouth in a gentle tune. In the trees behind him, three figures moved swiftly through the branches. His head turned slightly, then a grin appeared on his face. Suddenly, the three figures burst from the trees and charged for him. He lifted his head with a glint in his eye, then jumped to his feet. He turned around with his hand extended defensively, then quickly side-stepped. A figure blurred past him but he grabbed it and spun it back towards the others. Another jumped over it and darted for him with a glowing fist, he held his hand out and let it crash against his open palm. It forcefully hit him, but he grabbed it and pushed it back. The third figure held its arms back, then threw a blue pulsing sphere of energy. The man reared his hand back, clenching it into a fist, then thrust it forward. The fist collided with the energy, then burst through as the energy imploded, firing the power back into the three figures.

"Well done, you guys." the man spoke. The three stepped towards him, then bent to one knee. "You did well, better than usual. You're certainly learning from this, and I hope you learn to be stronger from this." he told them. he turned around and held one arm forward, and one to the side. "You've learned the technique of sneaking, surprising, and are able to adapt to the environment for your victory. But, you still lack the sensibility of gaining your opponent's weakness. If we continue this training, you will be able to learn your opponent's greatest weaknesses within seconds. Take for example, this. Floatzel!" he called out, then a figure emerged from the trees. It was a human-sized weasel with two tails and a life preserver around its neck. "Take this as an example, you three. Floatzel is very agile and quick to think underwater, thanks to its two propeller tails. However, for stopping abruptly from danger it uses the life preserver around its neck. For close combat fighting, it uses the scales on its arms to slice the air and scare its opponent away, however, the problem with that is a psychic-type easily stop its arms in midair for defense. A strategy against that could be water-type attacks such as aqua tail or hydro pump, more attacks like sonicboom could be used with improved gymnastic skills." he said, looking the weasel down. He took a few seconds to observe the pokemon before him, then he stepped towards it. "The answer is simple. The agile speed is the tails, and the defense is its preserver. Those are the two weakest spots, because underneath that powerful strategy lies a sensitive spot in the pokemon." the man spoke, then straightened his fingers together, and used his spare hand to lift the preserver. Then the man jabbed his fingers into its skin, Floatzel gave a quiet grunt as it stumbled back. Floatzel grinned to the man, giving a thumbs-up. "And that, you three, is how to evaluate your opponent's skills in a few moments." the man said, looking back at the other three pokemon.

"_Fernape!"_ one spoke, thrusting a fist forward. It was a brown monkey pokemon with gold circle plates on its chest and shoulders, as well as its wrists. Its head was brightened by the large flame atop its head, with a long tail and strengthened legs.

"_Scep sceptile!" _another called, raising an arm and revealing a glowing blade. Its body was one like a large lizard, with two grass blades on its arms. It had sharp claws and large forelegs, with clawed feet as well. Its head was grooved downward, and a large bushy tail came from its backside.

"_Gli gliscor!" _the third called out. Its body was one like a bat, with large fangs and pincer claws. Its body was skeletal, joined together with black cape-like wings. It had short legs, but a long tail with another pincer like a scorpion.

"I am proud of you three, believe me, but you must continue your training if you want to be able to defeat any opponent." the man spoke, looking out towards the vast open sea beside them.

"_Gli gliscor? Gliscor gli gliscor."_ the bat-like creature said in its native tongue. The man looked back, then shook his head.

"No, nothing. I'm fine, Gliscor. Come on, let's join the others. You too, Floatzel." the man spoke, waing the three towards the trees.

"_Flo floatzel, zel float."_ the weasel spoke, putting his hand in front of the man.

"Resting, you say? Don't worry, I've taught you four well enough to be stealth through the trees, right?" the man asked. The four grinned and nodded, then they jumped into the trees. Not far off the coast, a small bird carried an envelope in its claws. It had a certain destination in mind, as it saw the island become larger in the distance.

**END**


	2. Chapter 2

On the small island in the ocean, a small bird was panting as it lied on the sandy beach. It looked around, but saw no lifeforms of any kind. It dropped the letter in front of it then stared at it. Could its sender have made a mistake? It looked around nervously, it didn't like to be surprised. It picked the letter in its beak, then quietly stepped towards the trees. It peered through a bush, looking for anything. When everything remained motionless, the bird sighed and slowly extended its claw through the leaves. However, it caught a branch and it snapped. It froze for a second, then it heard a crash behind it. As it looked up, it saw a large figure towering over it, its body covered in a shadow, but it could make out a grin and evil-casting eyes. It gulped as a claw reached towards it.

Across the island, a man stood over a large group of pokemon. Some sleeping, some chatting quietly, some releasing weak attacks on each other. The man grinned, looking over all his pokemon. He remembered each and every memory he had catching them all, and he cherished them. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned and saw a green lizard. "Sceptile, what is it?" he asked, then the lizard pointed into the trees. "Intruders?" the lizard nodded. the man nodded and stepped in the direction it lead, and soon found one of his familiar pokemon holding something. It was a large crocodile figure with sharp claws on its hands and feet, and blue pockets down its body. It had large red scales on its head and back, as well as on its large tail. Its mouth was large, its jaws looking to be strong enough to break through the strongest steel. Within its claws, the man noticed a small trembling bird with an envelope in its beak.  
>"Release it, Feraligatr." the man commanded, then the croc let it drop to the ground. He crouched down and stared at the bird. "What is your reason for coming here?" he asked, but the bird only shook more as it stared at the menacing man. "It's okay, I won't hurt you." he said, holding a hand out. The bird stared carefully at it, then tossed the letter in his hand. "...Is this for me? You're a messenger pidgey?" he asked. The bird nodded, then its body was replaced with a cloud replica as it darted off. The man chuckled, then looked over the envelope in his hand. He turned it over, then found a stamp. It showed a round smiling face, with a thumbs-up beside it. "...Scott..." the man muttered, then held the letter towards the crocodile pokemon. It held out its claw and cut across the top of the letter, then the man pulled out a piece of paper.<p>

_Dear Ash,_

_It's been a while, hasn't it? Five years, at least. It's been hard to track you, and I bet you're wondering how I managed to find you, but I have my secrets. I have quite a few questions for you, young man, but I bet you're no young man anymore. You're probably a strong man, fighting trainers all over the world without me knowing. Now, the reason I sent this to you. I have a special proposal for you, and I sent a registration form with this letter. Inside the envelope you have everything you need for my proposal. Just fill out the form and give it back to Pidgey, it should be sitting on the spot it landed. Don't keep me waiting, Ash. I look forward to seeing you again._

_Signed, Scott_

The man stared immensely at the words, then looked in the envelope. He pulled out another piece of paper, and this one seemed more working than a letter. "An application..." the man muttered, then read the paper aloud.

_Application for the legendary Arc Tournament_

_Name: _  
>Pokemon League Record: _<br>Pokemon # Listing: _  
>Pokemon Class: _<em>

The man stared at the wording, then looked at the croc. It nodded, pointing towards the group of pokemon through the bushes. The man looked back, then nodded. They stepped out of the trees onto the beach, looking over the pokemon. "Attention, pokemon!" the man called out. All the heads jerked up and looked towards him. A small yellow figure ran through the group and stopped beside its trainer. "Pikachu, call everyone in formation." the man said. The small yellow mouse raised its hand to its forehead in salute, then called out in its native tongue. In a few moments, rows of pokemon were formed into a square shape, row behind row. Smaller in the front, bigger in the back. "All right, everyone, we have received contact from the outside." the man said.

"_Bak! Bak bakphoon!"_ a figure in the seconds row called out. It stood on its hind legs with its fists in the air, a large flame erupting from its back. Pokemon from the row behind grunted as the strong heat erupted.

"_Pika pikachu! pikachu pi pikapi!"_ the mouse yelled agressively.

"Pikachu, calm down. Everyone, Typhlosion does have a point. Why should we leave this place? This is our land, our training ground of strength...and our home. We've been travelling a lot over the years, whether it be Mt. Silver, Mt. Coronet, the Desert Resort, or even Stark Mountain, where we met the perilous Heatran." the man spoke out, earning a cheer from a small group of pokemon. "Yes, it was an impressive accomplishment for us to defeat the legendary pokemon, but we have a pressing issue on our hands right now. This letter came via pokemon carrier, and it is addressed to me to return to civilization." the man spoke, earning a few boos from the back row.

"_Raaaawwwrrr!"_ a large dragon called out from the back, releasing a massive flame into the air. It stood on two large feet, with a large underbelly and a large wingspan. It had short arms with claws, and a long neck holding a smaller head with short fangs emerging from its mouth.

"Charizard also has a point, everyone. During our years of solitary training, we have not spoke or contacted a single soul of our earlier journeys. We have been cut from civilization completely, but now arises the moment to make our comeback. We've been waiting for this moment for five years, everyone, so we're not going to let it slip away!" he called out, raising a fist in the air.

"_Sceptile scep! Sceptile!" _the green lizard called out, raising a fist. It stepped out of the row from the side, then jumped and landed beside its trainer honorably.

"_Infern! Nape infernape!" _the fire ape called out, then jumped and landed on the man's opposite side as Sceptile. The three lifted their fists, the two pokemon giving a battle call. One by one, the large group of pokemon raised a fist, vine, pincer, leg, or released an attack.

"That's more like it! Now is our time! Our time of revival is now!" the man called out.

"_Phoon! Bakphoon! Bak bakphoon bakphoon bak!" _Typhlosion called out, releasing a flamethrower into the air.

"_Raawrr!"_ Charizardshouted defensively, bringing its foot down in front of Typhlosion aggressively. The two stared each other down, not budging.

"Calm down, you two!" he called out, gaining everyone's attention. "Typhlosion has a right to object to this, it's natural. Typhlosion, we have all become stronger over the years, probably the strongest of most pokemon species is right on this island. Except pidgey. We have become stronger than ever before, and I think we all agree we want to show this power to the world." he called before the group.

"_Torterra tor!"_ a large turtle called from the back. It had spikes on its shell as well as short grass and a large tree, it had two spikes emerging from its jaw sides and large tree trunk legs with a short tail.

"Torterra also brings another point. We used to live in Pallet, the small peaceful town of Kanto. But now, we travel the world in search of training grounds for getting stronger. We chose the mountains across the world for training against the harsh conditions, such as snowstorms and sandstorms. We are no longer bothered by those, are we? We have also trained here an extensive amount of time, and now we call this island our home. On the beginning of every journey, young boys and girls leave their homes for traveling the world. This is the same situation, we must give up home for becoming stronger and famous. Our time for glory has come, after five years of becoming stronger, now is the time to show the world! We will show the world...what Ash Ketchum has done after his disappearance! We will show the world his pokemon! The strongest group of pokemon the world has ever seen!" he called out, finishing the speech. All the pokemon called out in agreement, some releasing attacks in firework displays.

"_Pikachu pi! Pika pika, pika chupi pikachu! Chu Pikapi!" _Pikachu called loudly, raising its fist in the air. All the pokemon erupted in cheer again, louder than before.

"It's time...for Ash's revival." the man said, grinning as he looked at the application in his hand.

"Ash, wait!_"_ a voice came from behind him. He turned to see a girl standing before him, panting with her hands at her chest. She wore a deep red t-shirt with light blue skinny-leg jeans. She wore a dark red beanie hat, with red hair straightened down to her neck.

"Zo, what are you doing?" the man asked, crossing his arms.

"Can't I see you? Am I restricted from seeing my favorite trainer?" she asked, giggling behind her hands.

"Very funny, Zo. You're not restricted from seeing me, but I would like to know why you're playing with appearances again. I told you last time to stop playing around so much, remember what happened with Sceptile last time?" the man, now called Ash, asked with an eyebrow arched.

"Sceptile tried to attack me because he thought I was an intruder, I know! I just want to find an appearance that suits my personality and I think I found it!" she said happily, rolling her eyes.

"This one? I admit, it does match your personality. The red hair, the red hat, the red shirt, why so much red though? I know you have red fur, but why not wear some black?" Ash asked. She rolled her eyes and turned to the side with her arms crossed.

"Fine, I'll change the hat to black, but I'm staying as I am right now! Unless I have to battle, then of course I'll change back. But in public, this is my persona. So, please call me-"

"Zo, you're keeping that nickname. I'm also impressed how you've improved on your talking in human appearance, I must say I proud." Ash said.

"Well, well, a compliment from the dense Ash Ketchum. Thank you very much, but flattery gets you nowhere with me." she said, winking at him.

"I'm just saying from when I first met you, you've certainly improved from your telepathic speaking. And by the way, I am not dense anymore. That was young Ash, serious Ash is here now and he is not stupid." Ash said, turning to the side.

"Oh, whatever you say. I'm just saying-"

"And I'm just saying it's not playtime anymore. Now, come on, change back." Ash said impatiently.

"But Ash-"

"Now. You can play around when we're back in public, okay?" Ash said.

"Really? okay!" she said happily, then jumped into the air, Her body was replaced with an eery red swirling circle, then a smaller figure landed on the ground as it disappeared. It was about the size of Pikachu and it had light black fur, with a deep black-furred thick collar around its neck. Its small feet were tipped with red, as well as two red dots on its forehead. It had a short bushy tail and pointy ears, and a small bush of hair on the top of its head with thin lining of red on the top. It laughed playfully.

"Alright, Zo, come on. Join the group." Ash said, waving the small fox towards the others. It hopped happily beside Pikachu and stood obediently, showing its magnificent fur. "Zo, don't show off. All right, everyone, you're all going to train for the last few hours you'll be on this island. Or you can take a harmless tour and recount your memories, it doesn't matter. As long as you leave me in peace with filling this application, it's fine what you do." Ash said, giving a loud clap over his head. Everyone walked in different directions around the island, doing their own things. Ash sat on a rock and looked over the paper. He answered all the questions in his head, then realized he was missing something. He felt a tug on his shorts, then looked down to see Pikachu with a pencil in its mouth. Ash nodded as he took the pencil, then filled the application with his honest answers. he folded it in half, then stood up and walked around the beach. After a few minutes, he found the pidgey cleaning its feathers on a rock. Ash crouched beside it and held out the envelope, then the pidgey carefully took it in its claws and took off. As Ash watched the bird fly into the distance, he realized he was going to need a few things. He took his backpack from in the trees (now a deep black with two red lines down the middle), then realized something. he couldn't leave his pokemon here alone, and he couldn't bring them all with him, but he found a way around it. he decided to make a small visit first. After a few hours of gathering everyone from their activities, Ash was ready. He gathered their pokeballs and put them inside his backpack, thinking of the 36 amazing friends he had with him. Also feeling disappointed that some of his pokemon couldn't travel with him, he still respected and thanked them for agreeing to battle when he asked for them.  
>Pikachu, Pidgeot, Venusaur, Blastoise, Charizard, Tauros, Muk, Kingler, Snorlax, Lapras, Heracross, Noctowl, Meganium, Typhlosion, Feraligatr, Donphan, Sceptile, Swellow, Crawdaunt, Torkoal, Glalie, Torterra, Infernape, Staraptor, Floatzel, Garchomp, Gliscor, Serperior, Emboar, Samurott, Unfezant, Leavanny, Gigalith, Seismitoad, and Scrafty. Last but not least, there was Zorua, but he called her Zo. He ran into her again during his Unova travels in the northern mountain region, but she wanted to stay with her Mee-Ma, Zoroark, at the time. After his Unova journey ended, he ran into Zorua in a small town. Zorua decided to join him, and he couldn't deny having another friend join him. Ash threw his bag over his shoulder, then called out Charizard. Charizard understood he needed a ride, so he lowered his wings. Ash hopped on, then they took off over the vast sea. Ash needed a pokemon professor to upgrade his pokemon party limit, but he couldn't trust a few. Professor Oak would be too risky for his family and friends living in the same town, Professor Birch and Elm were loudmouths, and Rowan was close to Oak. So only one other came to mind.<p>

"All right, Charizard, we're heading to Unova again."

**END**

**What will Ash do in Unova?  
>What does he want there?<br>Will he run into any old friends? Foes? Rivals?  
>When will the Arc Tournament start? Who will be there?<strong>

**Most will be answered next! R&R for advice or comments! No flames, though.**


	3. Chapter 3

Currently flying over the ocean, a red dragon gave a short roar as land started to come into view. On its back sat a man, looking intently at the island in the distance. He grinned. "Look out, Unova...Ash is back." the man whispered to himself, but the lizard heard and grinned as well.

_**Meanwhile, in Kanto...**_

"You okay, May?" a brunette was snapped out of her thoughts as she looked at her friend, Dawn.

"I'm fine, Dawn." May replied, smiling at the blunette. Her blue-haired friend frowned at this, however.

"May, you can't worry all the time. You know what, come with me." Dawn said, grabbing her hand and pulling her off the couch. May followed as she was nearly dragged upstairs by the energetic blunette.

"What do you think that was about?" Brock asked, glancing through the door-frame as he placed a dry dish in a cupboard.

"I'm not sure, but I'm sensing an interesting fragrance from this." Cilan said, pulling his soapy hands out of the filled sink. Upstairs, Dawn pulled her into her old friend's room and set her on the bed.

"What are we doing in here?" May asked, eying the blunette.

"I'm going to find something that says he cares about you as much as you do him." Dawn said, opening a drawer on the dresser.

"W-What? I d-don't care for him t-that much..." May stuttered, her face turned red as she looked away.

"Yeah, and Brock can get any girl he wants." Dawn said, rolling her eyes as she searched each drawer.

"You won't find anything, you know. He hasn't touched this place in years." May reminded her.

"I know, but he had to have had something before he left that showed his emotions." Dawn said, now searching the closet floor.

"Dawn, can you please cut this out? I'm not in the mood. Besides, my parents called and told me to check how Max is doing," May explained in a sad tone, falling back and lying on the bed with her arms above her head.

"...Okay, I'll respect that," the blunette told her, standing and moving towards the doorway. Stopping, she turned to her friend. "May, look at me."

"What now?" the brunette looked up at her, the blunette giving a warm smile.

"...He will come back. No need to worry," the brunette watched her disappear through the doorway, giving a sigh and rolling onto her side. She looked up at the dresser across the room, but could clearly make out the various objects on the surface, one that stood out more than the others. A pink and white-laced ribbon with a gold center set against a small white box, but the ribbon was cut in half. She wiped a tear from her eye, standing and putting her hand on the small box.

"You left our ribbon behind...You must have really wanted to forget..." she blinked away another tear, giving a weak chuckle. "...I only want to know why you left in the first place..." she moved her hand slowly across the box, taking it in her hand and carefully lifting the top off. Inside, a small gold ring with two sparkling blue gems on the top, in shape of hearts. She smiled, closing the lid. "...To think the same Ash I've known for so many years...Bought a ring..."

"May! Can we go for a walk for a while!" the brunette looked at the doorway, taking a deep breath before moving through the arch.

"In a little while! I need to eat!" she called back, slipping the small box into her pocket.

_**In Unova...**_

The large red lizard flapped its wings just above ground, coming in for a soft landing. The man jumped off his back, landing beside the lizard. "Good job once again, Charizard." the man said, patting the lizard's neck. It grinned at him, then the man lifted a pokeball and returned the creature. He glanced around, seeing a few people here and there. "Huh...I thought Nuvema Town would be more popular than this..." the man muttered to the electric mouse on his shoulder, walking down a path. After a few minutes, he came to a signpost. it showed various location names with corresponding arrows, until he saw one reading 'Juniper Lab'. He smirked as he walked in the arrow's direction, but didn't expect such a long walk to the building. He walked up to the front door and knocked twice, then glanced around. No one outside.

"Yes?" a feminine voice called from behind the door, then it opened and revealed a woman who appeared to be in her early 30's. She wore a green knee-length skirt, with a white shirt beneath a light blue lab coat with red diamond-shaped earrings. "May I help you?" she asked the man before her with the mouse on his shoulder. She saw a man about the same height as her wearing a dark red hoodie with two black lines across the middle, down his arms. He wore deep grey cargo shorts with black and blue sneakers. The man's face had a certain strict feel to it, but was very matured. Atop his head was thick jet-black hair in form of three spikes down his head, one across his left eye, another down just in front of his ear and the third behind his opposite ear.

"Yes, I'm here for Professor Juniper. Surprise visit." the man spoke.

"Well, I'm surprised alright. I guess I got a little caught up in my work again." she replied, smiling and rubbing the back of her head.

"I know a lot of other professors who do the same thing, ma'am." the man said with a friendly smile.

"I'm sorry to keep you standing here, please come in. Make yourself comfortable in the lounge." she said, stepping aside the door to let him in.

"Much obliged, Professor." the man said, stepping past her into the lab. She closed the door and saw him standing in the middle of the room, looking around.

"Great maintenance, don't you think?" she asked the man.

"I admire it, but it doesn't seem to have changed since I was last here." the man said without turning.

"So you've been here before?" she inquired curiously.

"Yes. I don't expect you to recognize me, as I have changed over the years." the man said calmly.

"Well, you're right. I can't recognize you." she said. The man turned to face her.

"I assume your lab is still the same in the other areas?" the man asked.

"...Well...yes..." she replied, unsure what he would want to know that for.

"I'm sorry, I guess I should introduce myself. I hate to have forgotten." the man spoke, holding his palm against his chest.

"No problem at all. It would be nice to know who I'm talking to, though." she said, trying to be polite about it.

"Well...how do I put it..." the man said, then put a hand to his chin. He thought for a few moments, then thought of something. He pulled a backpack off his shoulder from its sling position, then opened a zipper and rummaged through it. "Now let me see...it's here somewhere...oh, and please keep your voice down, if you don't mind." the man looked up at the woman, who nodded. He lifted his pack and continued searching as he came closer to the woman, then found what he was looking for. he pulled out a small device and closed the pack, returning it to its sling on his shoulder. "I believe you will find this the answer to your question." the man told her, handing the device to her. She took it, then eyed it carefully.

"One of my pokedexes...so your ID should be here..." she said as she pushed a button, noticing the man nod in the top of her eye. She pushed a few more buttons, then the picture of a young boy came on the screen. The computerized voice whirred for a moment, then spoke the small words on the bottom of the screen below the picture.

_This Pokedex model belongs to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, received at age 13._

The woman remained motionless, amazed. She looked at the photo carefully, then back at the man. "..._Ash_?" she asked.

"That is my pokedex, so I believe so." the man spoke politely. She stared at the man for a few moments, then broke into a large smile.

"Oh my, Ash! This is such a surprise! No one's heard from you since you disappeared five years ago, and you decide to surprise visit? I don't know what to make of this..." the woman whispered, as she had agreed to keep her voice down.

"In my opinion, you should make of it as a man visiting his old friend for a few favours." the man, Ash, replied.

"Favours? Anything for you, Ash. I'm just amazed you're here." she said, still taken back.

"Small favours, Professor Juniper. A short time ago, I got a letter from civilization for the Arc Tournament coming up." Ash told her.

"Ah, the Arc Tournament. One of the most legendary non-regional competitions there is. I'm assuming you've entered?" she inquired.

"Yes, but I'll need a few things first. For one, I know the regional professors have recently devised an installment chip to the pokedex that allows an unlimited pokemon party." Ash said.

"how did you know about that?" Juniper asked, surprised.

"I noticed a research paper on that desk there." Ash said, pointing at the empty receptionist desk. As he said, there was a piece of paper with a pokedex and a lot of pokeballs on it, along with a word article. "I would gladly appreciate it if I could somehow earn that upgrade. I will work the debt off in any means-"

"Oh, no, no. You won't have to work for it." Juniper said, interrupting him. "No, Ash, you don't have to work for the upgrade. Yes, normally I would have the request of having at least 16 badges from around the world, but I'll make an exception for you. Besides, you've already exceeded that need!" Juniper said cheerfully.

"So you'll just _give_ me the chip?" Ash asked.

"Of course! Now, what else do you need?" Juniper asked.

"Well, thank you, Professor. As well as that, I must as of you if there are any more installments to the pokedex." Ash said.

"Unfortunately, no. I have been working on a program that roughly translates pokemon speech, but I've had little success with it." Juniper said in a sad tone.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm sure your work will complete it soon." Ash said reassuringly. "But that's not an important thing I need. Another request is a means of communication. As well as you, there are a few other people I would like to communicate with before I head for the Tournament." Ash said.

"Got it, Ash. Luckily for you, I've just upgraded the PokeTransceiver." Juniper said, walking through the room towards a hallway. Ash followed closely, and soon they were in a room with a machine in the middle and screen monitors all on the walls. "You remember this lab, don't you?" she asked him.

"Of course, Professor. I'm sure Pikachu remembers his experience when we first came to Unova." Ash said, looking at the mouse on his shoulder. The mouse nodded, giving a few sparks from its cheeks.

"That was a bad experience, I'm sure." she said, opening a drawer on the hidden side of a desk. "The PokeTransceiver is a wrist-held device that allows video conversation in any situation, I'm sure you remember that from your rival, Trip." Juniper said, pulling a device from the drawer. She stepped around the desk and held it towards Ash. "This model is now installed to be able to have a four-way conversation, no matter what distance. here you go, Ash." she said as he took it from her hands. It was a deep black.

"Thanks, professor. I'm sorry to ask of these things after a sudden visit after so long." Ash said, snapping the device around his left wrist.

"Don't worry about it, Ash." she said as she walked towards the monitors. She pressed a few buttons on the keyboards, then a picture of a pokedex came on the screen. She pressed a few more buttons, then a small bubble with a backpack appeared beside it. A small buzzing noise was heard, then an exclamation mark popped up. "Please place your pokedex here, Ash." she said. Ash walked over and put his pokedex in a slot, then it disappeared inside the machine. After a few seconds, a gentle ding was heard as the pokedex came back out. "There, now you can have and use as many pokemon with you as you'd like. By the way, you haven't been in civilization over the past five years, have you? With you pokedex like it was, you couldn't have been able to use all your pokemon." she asked curiously.

"Yeah, I was on a small island in the ocean. I was outside the pokedex scanning program system, so the system didn't know about me where I was. I could use all the pokemon I had with me without this upgrade, since I wasn't on the mainland." Ash said, unzipping his backpack and looking inside. A pile of pokeballs were inside with red dots, but they all turned white again after a few seconds.

"Wow, Ash. That's a lot of pokemon." professor Juniper said, peering into the bag.

"Of course, I've made many more friends on my journey, but some of them didn't want to travel." Ash said, slinging the pack back over his shoulder.

"Well, I remember how Trip was like that when he visited a few days ago." Juniper said.

"How has Trip been, anyway? I've never heard about him." Ash said calmly.

"He's been making good records, that's for sure. After his runner-up position beneath you in the Unova League all those years ago, he's travelled through Hoenn and Sinnoh. He placed top four in Sinnoh, while in Johto he made runner-up again." Juniper told him.

"Good for him, then. He was one of the best non-elites I knew." Ash said, smirking.

"By the way, Ash, why did you disappear in the first place? I would think winning the Unova League would make you happy, am I right?" she asked. Ash's smirk disappeared as he looked out the window.

"Normally, yes. But for me, there were a few reasons not in my favor..."

**END**


	4. Chapter 4

_(Flashback)_

_"Dewott is unable to battle! The winner of this round is Serperior!"_

_"And wouldn't you know it, Trip's Serperior has taken another pokemon down! That's the third pokemon Ash has lost to the regal pokemon! Just when we thought Ash had it in the bag, this powerhouse completely altered the battle!" the MC yelled into the microphone from his booth. Ash clenched his teeth as he returned the defeated water-type._

_"Thanks, Dewott. You scored some critical hits, and they're certainly going to help." Ash whispered, looking at the opposing grass snake. True to his word, the snake was panting heavily with weak marks all over its body. However, despite the state it was in, it still flashed a grin to Ash. He looked up at the scoreboard, seeing his face along with his rival, Trip. He saw Trip was down to one pokemon, but unfortunately so was he. "This is it, Pikachu...this battle is going to determine the winner of the Unova League...you show that snake who's boss." Ash said to his electric mouse. Pikachu grinned and gave the thumbs-up, then hopped off his shoulder and onto the battlefield, sparking._

_"And Ash is forced to send his Pikachu back into play! After the previous battles its engaged in, this is sure to be intense! This is it, folks! This match determines it all, so don't refill your popcorn now!" the MC said enthusiastically into the mic. Ash thought he was going overboard, but he figured the job just did something to him. he looked around at the hundreds of cheering fans around him, including the small section of his friends. There he saw his Unova companions, Iris and Cilan, along with some of his old visinng friends like Misty, Brock and Dawn. He frowned, however, as he noticed only those five. He remembered one of his friend's promise they would make it, but unfortunately that didn't work out._

_"Leaf Blade!" Ash was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked over to see serperior charging at Pikachu with a glowing tail._

_"Dodge it, Pikachu!" Ash quickly commanded. Pikachu jumped into the air and narrowly dodged the attack by his trainer's late command. "Now Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted._

_"Grab it with Vine Whip!" Trip commanded. Pikachu released the electricity onto the snake, but it grinned as the electricity coursed through its body. Two vines came from its neck, wrapping around Pikachu. "Now, throw it down!" Trip shouted. Serperior called out as it violently lowered its vines, slamming the mouse onto the ground._

_"Pikachu! Thunderbolt!" Ash called out._

_"Let it go and use Leaf Tornado!" Trip shouted. Serperior released its grip on the mouse just before the electricity was released, then it used its snake-like abilities to avoid the attack. It spun its body upside down and released a large cloud of leaves towards the mouse._

_"Pikachu, counter with Electro ball!" Ash shouted. Pikachu formed a sphere of electric energy on its tail and launched it towards the oncoming leaves. The attacks collided with determination, then the electricity pushed through the leaves._

_"Ser!_" _Serperior called in surprise as the electricity collided with its chest, sending it hard onto the ground._

_"Serperior! Get up and use Leaf Blade!" Trip commanded._

_"Intercept with Iron Tail!" Ash countered. The pokemon collided tails with their respective attacks, neither giving in. "Paralyze it!" Ash shouted. Pikachu grinned as it gave off a few sparks through its tail, reaching Serperior. Suddenly, Serperior's glowing tail was pushed back and to everyone's surprise, Pikachu pushed _both_ their tails into Serperior's cheek! The snake called out in pain as it fell to the ground in front of its trainer, hurt from its opponent's and its own attack._

_"Serperior, you can do this! Get up and use Vine Whip!" Trip called at the snake. Slowly, it rose and wrapped its vines around the mouse again._

_"It won't work, Trip! Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted._

_"Just what I wanted! Iron Tail in the ground!" Trip commanded with a grin. Serperior's tali glowed white, then it struck into the battlefield as Pikachu's electricity reached its body. Serperior closed its eyes, then stared at Pikachu with an evil grin._

_"Not another lightning rod!" Ash said in disbelief._

_"Serperior, throw it in the air!" Trip commanded, then the snake launched the mouse into the air. "Leaf Tornado!" Serperior released the cloud of leaves again as Pikachu started falling down from the great height._

_"Volt Tackle into the leaves!" Ash called out. Pikachu somersaulted and became enveloped in electricity as it dove into the leaves, being cut on its sides as it charged through._

_"Leaf blade, full power!" Trip shouted. The snake's tail glowed green again as it jumped into the air, heading straight for the mouse._

_"Go for it, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. Both pokemon drew closer to each other with fiery determination in their eyes._

_"Combine your Iron Tail power with your attack!" Trip shouted._

_"Use iron Tail too, Pikachu!" Ash shouted. Pikachu's tail became silver as it swung it down towards the snake. Serperior's tail glowed silver for a second, then it became a shiny dark green as it swung it up towards the mouse. The two tails clashed and released sparks and small rays of steel energy around them. Both pokemon's faces were right up to each other, bearing their teeth in anger as they tried to overpower the other. Suddenly, the two tails glowed brightly right before a large explosion occurred in the air. The cloud quickly stretched to the battlefield so no one could know who won, but everyone could hear the two separate thuds on the battlefield._

_"Serperior!"_

_"Pikachu!"_

_The cloud remained for a few seconds, but after a little while it parted. Both pokemon were on the ground._

_"Both Serperior and Pikachu are unable to battle, this ma-"_

_"SER/PI!" everyone gasped at the angry replies. Both pokemon's eyes snapped open, then they struggled to lift themselves up._

_"Pikachu, you can do it buddy!" Ash called in support._

_"Come on, Serperior! You can beat them!" Trip called sportingly to his pokemon. Both pokemon grunted as they pushed themselves up. Pikachu finally stood on its hind legs, staring at the snake. The snake struggled to pull its head into the air, but managed as it glared back at the mouse._

_"All right!" both trainers called as the pokemon glared at each other._

_"This is clearly a battle of will now..." Ash whispered to himself._

_"They both have taken took much damage to attack...now it's a stare-down to the finish..." Trip thought. Both pokemon grunted their names as they stared at each other intensely, neither side backing down. After almost a minute of the intense stare-down, then snake grunted as its head fell to the ground. "No!" Trip called._

_"Serperior is unable to battle, the winner is Pikachu! This round and Unova League match goes to...Ash Ketchum of Pallet!"_

_"And there it is, folks! ASH KETCHUM has won the UNOVA LEAGUE TOURNAMENT!" the MC spoke rather loudly and over-enthusiastically into the microphone, just as the crowd erupted into a large cheer._

_"WHOO! Yay, Ash!" Iris called out excitedly._

_"Way to go, Ash!" Misty called out._

_"We knew you could do it!" Cilan shouted to the boy. _

_"We...we won..." Ash whispered to himself, looking around the stadium. Ash ran on the battlefield and crouched beside Pikachu, holding him in his arms. "Pikachu...we won...it's over..." Ash whispered happily, hugging the mouse. Pikachu gave a half-smile as it weakly gave a thumbs-up. "Don't overdo it, buddy. You're weak and we should get you to the pokemon center right away." Pikachu nodded, then closed its eyes to rest. Ash stood up and waved his one arm to the crowd, then looked across the field to see Trip crouched beside Serperior._

_"You did your best, Serperior. I'm proud of you, now take a well-deserved rest." he said, returning the snake into its pokeball. He stood up, then looked over to see Ash staring at him. They both walked to the middle of the field._

_"...Good battle, Trip." Ash said, holding his hand out._

_"...yeah, good battle. Congratulations on the win." Trip said, returning the handshake._

_"Thanks, I hope we get to battle like this again someday." Ash said, smirking._

_"Back at you. You're not bad, coming from the boonies." Trip smirked as he turned and walked to his exit. Ash shook his head and sighed as he turned towards his exit as well, heading to the pokemon center. After a few hours of resting his pokemon, requested by Ash, the league finally continued with the winner's podium._

_"Ash Ketchum, on behalf of the Unova Region and pokemon league committee, I proudly present you the Unova league Champion trophy!" Charles Goodshow spoke happily, handing the golden trophy to Ash._

_"Thanks, Mr. Goodshow." Ash said happily as he accepted the trophy. he eyed it in amazement, happy beyond reason for winning. "After these years of training, we finally won, Pikachu. All our training paid off on our journey." Ash said to the mouse on his shoulder. It nodded happily as it rubbed the trophy with its paws, cleaning a small spot. Ash laughed heartily at his friend, then the two made a few poses with the trophy for the newscasters. After an hour or two, the stadium was finally being evacuated. Ash walked out the main lobby with the trophy in-hand, then saw his friends waiting by the entrance. Misty looked back, then saw the boy._

_"Ash!" she called happily, running towards him. The others looked over, and soon were running behind her. Ash was surprised as Misty hugged him when she came close. "I'm so happy you won! Congratulations!" Misty said happily._

_"Thanks, Misty." he said, going a bit red unseen to her._

_"I gotta say, I was a bit worried." Ash looked over to see Brock coming closer with his arms crossed._

_"A 'congratulations' will do, Brock." the boy chuckled._

_"Good job, Ash. You finally won." Brock said, hugging the boy._

_"Still no 'congratulations'?" Ash asked as he rolled his eyes._

_"Not bad for a kid, Ash." he became insulted at the oh-so-familiar comment made by his Unova native friend._

_"Thanks a lot, Iris. It means a lot." Ash rolled his eyes again, making the others laugh._

_"congratulations, Ash. I could tell when you beat me at the Striaton Gym you would go far." Cilan said, extending his hand._

_"Thanks, Cilan." Ash said, returning the handshake._

_"So, Ash, what now?" Misty asked._

_"Honestly, nothing yet. I'm just going to go home for a little vacation, maybe look for a new region I haven't been to." Ash said._

_"Well, call me if you find a place. I've been getting cramped up in the gym lately, but get this. My sister have actually agreed to take care of challengers!" Misty spoke in disbelief._

_"Really? Wow." Ash said._

_"What made them change?" Brock asked._

_"I don't know. Probably some sort of boyfriend infection." Misty shrugged her shoulders._

_"You mean they've moved on from me!" Brock asked as the sound of glass shattering was heard._

_"Brock, they were never on the same level with you." Misty sighed, yanking his ear._

_"YOWCH!" Brock exclaimed, rubbing his ear gently. Everyone laughed at the gestures between the two, just like the old times. The group had taken the Unova Subway south, back to Nuvema Town. Once there, they stood on the docks, watching the boat-planes land._

_"Well... guess this is where we part..."Misty said._

_"It's been an honor traveling with you, Ash. I hope we do something like this again soon." Cilan said._

_"Me too, Cilan. I've enjoyed traveling with you. You're one of the only matches for Brock's cooking." Ash chuckled, joined by the two men._

_"Well, I try my best." the connoisseur said._

_"It's not going to be the same without you, Ash." Iris said sadly._

_"Don't worry, Iris. Maybe I'll visit sometime, who knows." Ash said._

_"I hope so, and so does Axew. Right?" Iris looked over her shoulder, then a small green tusked pokemon popped out._

_"Axew, ax..." it said sadly, its head held low._

_"Axew, don't worry. We'll definitely meet again." Ash said, rubbing the pokemon's chin. It looked at him sadly, then smiled._

_"keep true to your word, Ash." Iris said, surprising everyone by pulling him into a hug. Ash was taken back, but smiled as he realized even she had her weaknesses beside ice-types. When Iris pulled away, she was looking away, ashamed of what she just did._

_"Don't worry about it, Iris. Everyone's sad when their friend leaves. I had to split from one of my friends...but it was different than others..." Ash said quietly, looking at the trophy in his hand._

_"Do I hear right? Ash has a crush?" Misty asked, making Ash go pink._

_"You hear right. Maybe I'll just tell her about this..." Brock said to himself._

_"No! Don't go making up lies to anyone! I don't like anyone!" Ash quickly defended himself._

_"Then the pink is for nothing." Misty playfully stuck out her tongue. Ash turned his head from everyone and sighed._

_"Well, our plane's going to leave soon." Brock said, pointing back to the ship on the water. Everyone shook hands, or hugged, then bid farewell as the group split into Kanto and Unova natives. The three old friends got on the plane and sat in the seats._

_"Just like old times, huh guys?" Misty asked._

_"The original three, back together for a small adventure." Brock said, smiling._

_"You got that right, Brock-o." Ash said, smiling._

_"So, Ash, if you find another region, I'm assuming you'll enter a pokemon league?" Misty asked him._

_"Of course! I'm going to get stronger, and me and my pokemon going to become pokemon champion!" Ash said, lifting his Unova trophy shortly in the air._

_"And maybe next time, you won't win narrowly by sheer luck." Brock said, giving a small laugh. Misty joined in, too. But Ash's smile disappeared as he stared at the trophy._

_"Sheer luck..." he thought sadly to himself, staring at his reflection in the gold._

_"Ash? You okay?" he shook his head and saw Brock looking at him. "I was only kidding, you know." he said._

_"I know, I was just thinking of something else." Ash lied, looking out the window. The engines started, and the plane took off._

_"You mean like your wedding with-"_

_'SHUT UP, BROCK!"_

_(End Flashback)_

"And that's the story of the Unova League ending." Ash said, concluding the story to the professor.

"I've enjoyed the story, but I only got one idea from that story why you left. And that's the 'sheer luck' business." she said.

"Right on the nose, Professor. Pikachu just barely outlasted Serperior, probably by a few seconds. I got completely lucky on that win, and I knew my mother and Professor Oak would stop me from training really hard every day in Pallet." Ash said.

"So you took all your pokemon and left civilization, making home on the small island." Professor added.

"Not quite. You see, throughout my journey I heard about plenty of rough and vigorous spots where people train to get a lot stronger. So I thought over it, and decided on one spot from each region that was the best training spot for any kind of weakness. I excluded Kanto, however, because I didn't want to risk getting recognized so close to home. But before I left for these spots, I visited some of my old pokemon in the wild and offered them to join me again. Some agreed and some declined, and a few I couldn't contact since they were constantly on the move. But on my journey from one training spot to the next, I think they sensed where I was, and they decided to come and join me." Ash explained.

"So where did you go to train?" Juniper asked.

"First, I went to the Desert Resort, here in Unova. I chose my group of pokemon carefully for that area, I wanted to help my pokemon overcome their weaknesses. So, in the Desert Resort, I switched in parties of flying and fire-type pokemon, to help overcome their weaknesses to the sandstorms and land environment." Ash told her.

"But there had to be other environments, you couldn't have just trained in sandstorms." Juniper told him.

"Right again. Next, I went to Sinnoh's Stark Mountain for their boiling lava rivers. I trained my grass and bug-types to withstand the heat and expertly attack without flinching or having their power lowered." Ash said.

"I would figure you would go to a rainy, sunny, or snowy area after that." the Professor suggested.

"Two out of three. I went from Stark Mountain to Mt. Coronet for their sun on the mountainside. I had my water-types stay in the sun for hours, not begging for a drink or anything. As well as that, we fired water attacks into the air for long periods of time, training our attack durations and weakness to the weather." Ash told her.

"Snowy or rainy next?" she asked.

"Snowy. We headed to the last place on my list, Mt. Silver. Said to be the toughest mountain in all the five regions. I got my grass, ground, dragon and flying-types for Mt. Silver's famous blizzards on the mountaintop. We trained day and night, enduring the cold. After we were done there, all my pokemon were evolved and determined in their power. But some of them wanted to become tougher, to impress me. I tried to say it was enough, but they kept asking for more training." Ash said.

"So what did you do? You trained your pokemon against weather weaknesses, what else is there?" the Professor asked.

"They wanted more battle experience. I couldn't figure out what to do, so I headed back to Unova. I traveled the more private areas in search of a large, secluded area I could use to train my pokemon. Unfortunately, I found nothing. But, on the plus side, I did find-" Ash was cut off as a blue flash of light appeared beside him and when the light dimmed, a girl stood beside Ash.

"There, Ash. I changed my hat to black. Happy now?" she asked.

"Zo, I think it looks better on you than the red." Ash said, crossing his arms.

"Thank you, but it doesn't feel the same." she crossed her arms and turned her back to him. She opened one eye, noticing the Professor in front of them. "Oh, hi! Sorry to ignore you, I'm Zo!" she said happily, extending her hand.

"...How...?" the Professor was at a loss of words.

"How am I? Well, I've been better, but being in that pokeball for a long time can be kind of lone-"

"Zo, quiet." Ash said in a strict tone.

"But Ash, I was just answering-" she stopped when she saw Ash's eyes stare coldly at her. "...Fine. I'll just go for a walk, then." she turned towards the door.

"You'll do no such thing, I can't risk you getting attention towards us!" Ash told her.

"Well sorry for being myself!" she threw her arms in the air.

"How...how was she in a pokeball?" the two looked at the confused Professor. "Ash...how did you capture a human girl?" she asked. Zo grinned at Ash.

"See, Ash? My appearance is enough to trick other humans. I told you so!" she said.

"That's not what she meant, Zo. You came out of your pokeball right in front of her, in human form. you see the mix-up?" Ash asked.

"...Oh! Sorry! I guess that is confusing, so I'll just change back." Zo said, laughing nervously. Ash sighed as she jumped, then transformed into her original appearance.

"A Zorua!" the professor gasped.

"Yeah, I was getting to that point in the story but she interrupted. Along the way in Unova, I ran into her again with her Mee-Ma, a Zoroark, and she wanted to join me on my journey." Ash said calmly.

"Wow, Ash, you've got yourself a pretty rare pokemon." Juniper said, crouching down and admiring the small fox. It began laughing, then jumped on the table between them and Ash. From there, it jumped onto Ash's unoccupied shoulder.

"She's like a mischievous Pikachu." Ash sighed, stroking his finger under her chin. Zorua began laughing again.

"I see..." Juniper said, standing up again and looking at the fox. "Oh, that reminds me! Ash, it just so happens I have some information on the Arc Tournament." she told him.

"Really? What do you know?" Ash asked.

"It's a small bit, but it could still help anyone. I know hundreds are going to compete and it's being held right here in Unova's Pokemon League!" she said excitedly.

"So we're entering another Unova tournament." Ash said to the pokemon on his shoulders.

"Ash, it's going to be held just next week." she said.

"Really? So soon?" She nodded. "Well guys, looks like we have a little last-minute training to do." Ash said, turning towards the doorway.

"Ash, wait." he turned to face the professor. "I'm not one to be not satisfied, but I can't shake the feeling you have other reasons for leaving...Is there another reason besides the 'sheer luck' that you left?" she asked. Ash looked down at the ground, then nodded to Zorua and Pikachu. Zorua jumped off his shoulder and transformed back into Zo form, walking out the door with Pikachu on her shoulder.

"...You're right, Professor. I have a few reasons I left, but some of them I won't tell to anyone no matter what. I'm willing to share this with you." Ash said, looking at the woman.

"I'm all ears, Ash." she said.

"Well...during the Unova League, I told you how one of my friends promised me they'd be at the Unova League, then didn't show up. I was the only one who knew about this promise, so the others didn't expect another visitor. Luckily for them, they weren't surprised after all." Ash said gloomy, leaning on the examination table. "I was sad she didn't show up, but after the day was through, I was kind of glad since she would have murdered Brock for his taunting." Ash chuckled weakly, then sighed.

"So this was the girl Brock said you liked?" she asked.

"...Yes. I haven't seen her personally since we parted on our journey, but we promised to keep in touch. We talked on videophone once a week, keeping each other informed of our journeys. But when she promised for the Unova League, I was happier than I'd ever been." Ash said, lowering his head. "But when I saw she didn't come, I was heartbroken. And... I wasn't focusing on the battle completely, I was thinking about her too." he said.

"But...then that means you didn't win by luck, you won because you were almost distracted too much...as well as a little luck." she told him.

"But I was thirteen years old, then. I was the emotional, wannabe pokemon master with a lot of emotional friends. Now, I'm the guy with no friends but his pokemon." Ash said.

"But...are you still...?"

"Emotional? Hardly. Over the years of training in the various places around the globe, I came to realize that no matter how friendly you are with someone, you can never truly rely on them. You think you can, but you can't completely. So as well as my pokemon training, I learned to train my emotions. Now, I'm a master of my own feelings, and can push away an emotion if I want to." Ash explained.

"But, if you don't get emotional...how do your pokemon feel?" Juniper asked.

"They feel the same as me. Some of my pokemon are bent on getting stronger, more than making friends with others. They had no problem with my new attitude, but others had to adjust to the new life we were going to live from then on." Ash told her.

"And how did you find that island, anyway?" she asked.

"We were flying from Unova back to Johto, since we thought of making Mt. Silver our home. But along the way, since we passed over a different ocean, we found that island and explored. it had plenty of fruit, shade, space and had the wild feel to it. We took a vote; it became our home." Ash said calmly.

"Wow..." she whispered.

"And now, we're back from the island to civilization, coming to show everyone what we've been working on for the past five years." Ash said.

"So you're going to reveal yourself right away?" she asked curiously.

"No, no. I'm thinking on using another ID into the Tournament, I don't want my friends to meet me that way after all these years." Ash said.

"Well, you're in luck. There are a few different types of rounds in the tournament, and you don't have to use your actual name until the top six. At the beginning, you can use any name you want." she told him with a friendly smile.

"Thanks, professor." Ash said. After a few minutes, they were standing at the door. "Professor Juniper, you don't know how grateful I am for all the help you've given me..."

"No problem, Ash. Just make sure you do your best in the tournament." she said.

"No problem. I'll see you later, then, Professor." Ash said, turning and having the electronic doors open in front of him. He looked to see Zo and Pikachu sitting on the steps. Pikachu looked back and waved at its trainer.

"Take care, Ash!" she waved to him as the two walked away.

"Goodbye, Professor!" Ash waved back, as well as Zo.

"So, Ash, where we headed?" Zo asked.

"Pokemon League. But can you please be quiet along the way? I have to make a few calls first." Ash said, raising his PokeTransceiver.

"Oh, sure, put others ahead of your own pokemon." Zo said sarcastically, petting Pikachu in her arms.

"Quiet." Ash said. "..Now...let's hope I got this right..." Ash said, watching the electronic phone shake. Soon, a man's face came on the screen. He had short black hair that just went down to his eyes-height, all around his head underneath a white cap, brimmed with dark blue and a red pokeball symbol on the front.

"Yo, what can I do for you?"

"Hey, Hilbert. Turns out I'm coming your way, how 'bout a visit?"

No problem, man. Hilda's not here, though. She was talking about some tournament..."

"Judging by her ability for finding tournaments, I'm thinking it's the same tournament I'm entering. You might want to contact her and tell her to watch out for me, I'm not taking it easy if I face her. I'll be there in a few hours, then."

"Talk to you then, man. See ya in a few."

**END**

**I wasn't sure if that was a good ending, introducing a new guy. Be sure to remember him, 'cause he's pretty important on Ash's story. As well as Hilda, who has yet to be introduced! You probably already know who those two are, so is there anyone else involved with them that will be introduced? R&R, no flames please!  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Pallet Town, Friday, 9:26**

"Iris, where are we going?" the brunette asked as the purple-haired girl dragged her up the hill.

"You'll see, May. There's something I want to show you." Iris said in a cheerful tone. May sighed as she was dragged up the hill a little more, then the girl let go of her wrist. "Here it is, May. Look." Iris said. May looked out, looking curiously around as she pulled her jacket closer. She noticed they were standing on a small cliff, looking out over a small shoreline. She saw pokemon scattered around the beach, some playing, eating, even talking in pokemon language. May watched in awe as they all sat on the shore, looking out at the orange sphere disappearing over the sunset.

"...The sunset...it's beautiful..." May said quietly.

"Isn't it? Some say the sunset gives a message every time it goes down, and it's always different. What do you think it's saying, May?" Iris spoke softly as a gentle breeze blew through the area. May didn't speak as the hair blew through her hair, she continued to watch the pokemon.

"I don't know...but what are the pokemonn doing? It looks like they're...waiting..." May said, looking down. All the pokemon on the beach, rattata and raticate, pidgey and pidgeotto, nidoran alike, they all sat just where the water stopped, sitting and staring out towards the water.

"I think so too, May. here in Pallet, you know Ash was famous, right?" May nodded. "Well, it's just my opinion...but I think they're waiting for him." Iris said.

"What? It can't be..." May said, not moving.

"It can. May, Ash told me he played in Pallet with all the pokemon before he became a trainer. As a child, he went out and played with the wild pokemon to get to know them better. Now that he's gone, they're waiting for him to come back and play again." Iris said, sitting on the grass.

"But...why do they wait? Shouldn't they move on?" may asked, sitting beside her. Iris began laughing, looking at her.

"May, shouldn't you say that to yourself?" May realized where she was going with this. She wanted her to see the pokemon, say that exact phrase, and turn it against her! "Come on, May, you know it's true. If you say the pokemon should move on, they naturally you should too." Iris said.

"But...I know he's still out there...he'll come back..." May said, holding a hand to her chest.

"Don't you think the pokemon are saying that too?" Iris asked, May gasped quietly as she knew she was right. "May, I've known Ash the shortest of the girls here, but I feel like I know him the most. I know I don't, but I can hear nature's thoughts. Nature and pokemon are connected deeply, and if pokemon think Ash is coming back, then nature does too. Pokemon know Ash is coming back, and I do too. And so do you." Iris said, leaning back with her arms supporting her on the grass.

"...Iris, do you really think he's coming back?" May asked softly.

"Of course I do, May. We're friends, and I know he'll respect that. Besides, you remember how I told you about his thoughts of marrying you before he left Unova?" May blushed deeply as she remembered how Iris told her about that. Suddenly, her side vibrated. She reached in a pocket and found her pokegear, flipping the screen and reading the screen.

_May,_

_Awesome news! I'm coming to Pallet Town in a few hours! I'm going to be on the next ferry there, so wait for me! Unless you're not there anymore, then please tell me! But I have bigger news for when I get there!_

_Max_

May smiled at the message, subconsciously glancing at the small port in the distance. But something brought her back to reality. "Besides, I know that he'll come back for his wedding plans!" May turned red as she looked at the laughing Unova native, then began chasing her.

"You better run, Iris! When I get you, you'll regret that!" May shouted, running after the girl.

"No way, May! Not until I'm at the altar beside you!" Iris called back, running faster. May was angry as she chased her back to the ketchum house, but was partly happy as she thought of her brother's big news.

_**Somewhere in northern Unova...**_

A man looked around as he walked further up the ragged terrain. He glanced at the mouse on his shoulder, who nodded to him, then continued faster. "How do you think they've been doing, Pi?" the man asked.

"Excuse me, mr. all-terrain!" the man sighed as he heard the voice for the millionth time complain to him. He turned around and saw a girl struggling to catch up to him. "I may not be human, but I'm no rock-type either!" the girl complained.

"Hurry up, Zo. I might just leave you behind." the man smirked as he began hopping from rock to rock, progressing up the cliff faster.

"No! Wait! I take it back! You're a good trainer, go your own pace!" the girl called out desperately, trying to go faster.

"Zo, I told you it would be better to go in your pokeball a half hour ago. Sometimes your stubborness is too much to handle." the man sighed to himself, joined by the mouse.

"All right, Ash! Let's see you beat this!" she called with a grin, then hopped in the air, becoming an eery red sphere. The man, Ash, glanced back to see what she was doing. The second he saw the sphere, he knew what she was doing, then began hopping faster with a smile on his face. he glanced back and saw a large blue dragon with thin red wings gaining on him. His smile become a grin as he noticed the ground turn from rocks to dirt. The second his foot hit the dirt, he darted forward up the hill faster than before. He glanced back and saw the large dragon slowly gaining on him, then he looked up to see a small ledge. He looked over to see a rock beside the side of it, then put his foot on it and launched himself up. His feet caught the ground again and began running, then noticed the end of the uphill. he jumped and saw the familiar steep slope, digging his heels into the dirt as he gently and safely slid down the dirt. He looked back to see the dragon with an angry expression as it came over the hill, diving down towards him. He looked forward again and noticed a small house, more of a refurbished shack, a short distance away from him. He pushed off frmo the dirt, landing safely about ten feet from the shack. A man came around the corner with his arms crossed, shaking his head.

"Bro, I told you to stop competing with your Zorua. You know she gets angry when she loses." the man said.

"You bet I do!" the two looked back to see not a dragon, but a small black fox walking fast towards them. "Every time! Every time we come here, you always beat me! I even used a salamence, come on!" the telepathic voice said angrily, the fox kicking its foot into the dirt repeatedly.

"Calm down, Zorua. Don't get so worked-up." the man said.

"I will if I want to!" she said, kicking faster.

"All right, Zo, time to settle down." Ash said, holding a pokeball out towards her.

"No! Wait-" her voice cut off as the red light enveloped her body, disappearing inside the sphere.

"I see she hasn't gotten over her old habits." the man chuckled.

"That's Zo, always wanting to win and slow down when going uphill." Ash sighed, holding his hand towards the man.

"good to see you, bro. You gotta visit more often." the man said, shaking his hand.

"This time's special, Hilbert. I've got an event coming up, and I need a close place to crash the next few days. Can I count on it?" Ash asked.

"The H. House is always open, my man. Crash long as you want. Although, you might want to tell Hilda somehow, remember the last time you surprised her?" Hilbert asked with a smirk.

"So she told Liepard to pounce me, I'm not falling for it again though. But, I may as well use my new PokeTransceiver for something." Ash said, lifting his wrist and hitting a button.

"Sweet, you got the new model!" Hilbert said, eying the black device. Ash rolled his eyes as the small phone on his screen vibrated, then a face appeared in its place. The girl he was looking at had bushy brown hair behind her, with two short bangs over her shoulder. She wore a small black vest over a plain white sleeveless tank top, with black sweatbands over her wrists. Along with her blue eyes and the pink handbag strap over her shoulder, she had a white cap with a pink pokeball design and a pink brim around the edge.

"Ash!" the girl said happily.

"Hey, Hilda. I was just calling to tell you I'm crashing at Hilbert's for a few days." Ash said.

"Oh, great! Now you won't meet Liepard again!" she laughed heartily, while a sweatdrop appeared behind Ash's head. "By the way, how are you calling me? Hilbert?" she asked.

"Nope. I got a PokeTransceiver from professor Juniper." he replied.

"New model!" Hilbert's face appeared behind Ash, smiling.

"That's good to know, Hilbert. So, Ash, are you entering the Arc Tournament too?" she asked. Ash was about to question how she knew, then sighed as he glanced at a chuckling Hilbert.

"Yes I am. I guess we'll battle again after all, Hilda." Ash smirked.

"You bet, and this time I'll win! Last time was a fluke! I'm actuall at the pokemon league now, so I'm camping in the forest nearby!" Hilda replied cheerfully, flashing a thumbs-up.

"Good to hear. I'll see you there in a few days, then." Ash said.

"Awesome, can't wait! See ya, Ash!" she said before the screen turned black. Ash lowered his wrist and sighed.

"So, Ash, need a practice battle? My pokemon are getting bored of sparring against each other, they need a new opponent." Hilbert said, walking towards the shack.

"I'll pass, my pokemon still need to learn a few teqniques of mine." Ash smirked, drawing his bag from over his shoulder. He opened the large pocket and reached in, grabbing a few pokeballs. Ash walked a fair distance from the house, but still in the area, then watched as all his pokeballs lit up in a blue flash, and the many lights formed his many pokemon. He looked around, then remembered as he reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out another pokeball. He tossed it, and it came back to him after releasing the small familiar figure.

"Oh, sure! Just put me back in a pokeball to stop me from talking!" Zorua spoke angrily, beginning to dig her foot into the ground again.

"Zo, get over it. All right, everyone! Training!" Ash called out, then noticed a few pokemon looking around. "Yes, we are no longer on our island. But, we're visiting Hilbert since he lives close to the pokemon league." Ash told them.

"The crazy one?" Zorua laughed.

"I heard that!" a voice called out from the nearby shack.

"Yes, Zo, that one. Now, everyone pick a sparring partner and start powering your moves. Except for Sceptile, Gliscor and Infernape, I want you three to come with me and we'll continue our training from the island." Ash said, watching the pokemon start moving around in pairs. The three others followed Ash, as well as Zorua and Pikachu. "All right, you three, show me what you remember about finding a pokemon's weakness inn seconds. First, Sceptile, let's see what you know about Infernape." Ash said. The two pokemon stood in front of each other, Sceptile staring at Infernape in concentration. A little over five seconds later, Sceptile moved its claws over the gold plate on Infernape's shoulder, then gently lifted it. Infernape's arm moved up with the plate, then Sceptile jabbed its claws under the plate into Infernape's skin. It staggered as it pulled back, bringing its paw over its shoulder. Well done, Sceptile. You're learning well. Now, Sceptile, what do you know about Gliscor?" Ash said as the two pokemon faced each other.

"Ash. this is boring! What can I do?" Zorua asked.

"You can spar with Pikachu, I'm working here." Ash said.

"Work with me!" Zorua said stubbornly, nudging her head against his leg.

"Not now, Zo, later. I'll train you to sense multiple opponents later." Ash said.

"Okay!" she said agreed happily, then sat back down. Infernape stared at Gliscor, then grabbed the skeletal shape in Gliscor's wing and pulled softly. Gliscor hopped back a little, then Infernape held up one finger to Ash. Infernape pulled Gliscor's claw open, and pointed in while looking at Ash. "Well done, Infernape. I'm glad you didn't want to cause Gliscor pain within its claw, I honour that." Ash said, smiling.

"Yo, Ash! Your party want dinner or what!"

_**Pallet Town Sideport...**_

"Max!" May called out happily as the ship finally stopped completely. She waited patiently, along with Iris, Brock and Dawn for her brother to depart from the ship. With the large crowd of people coming off the ship, she found it hard to find her little brother. After a few minutes, the crowd finally parted as everyone left the port, and May finally spotted her brother behind a few people. The boy wore a light blue jacket over a white t-shirt, revealled by the open collar. He had black cargo pants and green sneakers, as well as two green wristbands around his wrists (duh). He still wore his glasses, but he had a deep blue cap with a dewdrop on the front. "Max!" she called out.

"May!" the boy said happily, walking towards her. Unfortunately, Max forgot his sister sometimes got a little happy about seeing him after a long time, and sometimes ran towards him and hugged him tightly. "May...air...let me..." Max gasped, momentarilly remembering his sister's strength.

"Oh! Sorry!" she said, quickly letting go. "So, Max, how was the trip?" she asked.

"Okay, I guess. Like every other cruise liner." Max said, shrugging his shoulders.

"So, Max, how was Johto?" Brock asked.

"Awesome, Brock. I caught a few new friends, aside from my Hoenn buddies, of course." Max said.

"That's great, Max! You'll have to show me later, but first we gotta catch up! How did your Johto journey go?" May asked excitedly.

"Calm down, May. I got runner-up in the finals." Max said.

"That's great! We should celebrate!" May said cheerfully, tugging on his arm.

"May!" Max said, trying to get her attention. May looked down, but noticed he was only a few inches shorter than her. "May, listen. That's not even my big news." Max said. May glanced back at the others, but they showed the same confusion.

"Then...what is it?" she asked him. Max smiled.

"I got a letter. And after my second place in Johto, the pokemon league assosiation qualified me for the Arc Tournament!"

**END**

**Max qualified! Ash qualified! Hilda qualified! Hundreds of strangers qualified! Will anyone else special qualify? Rivals? Friends? R&R!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six is here! I know it hasn't been a while since the last update, but I'm always bored. I'm not so sure about this chapter, but it might just do for the story. Feel free to comment on anything that I can go back and express more, because I don't know how well this story goes together.  
>Also, as well as advanceshipping, I'm going to be doing two other shippings. So review and help me decide on the options below.<strong>

**Ikarishipping and Egoshipping / Cavaliershipping and Orangeshipping (- optional)**

**I don't own pokemon or any of its contents! (I've never done this, nor find the reason why.)**

"Max, what can you tell us about this Arc Tournament?" Brock asked. The five were walking back from the port, where Max had recently told his big news. Max, May and Brock were walking in a line, with Iris a few energetic steps ahead of them.

"I can't say much, the letter only says it's going to be in Unova a few days from now, and a lot of trainers are going to enter." Max shrugged.

"I can tell you!" Iris said excitedly, her arms behind her head.

"You can?" May asked, surprised.

"Yep! It's going to be in Unova in a few days, and a lot of trainers will enter!" she said happily.

"...We've established that..." Max sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"I'm not finished! As well as that, the competition is divided into three rounds. Each trainer will get a hotel room, free of charge and are allowed to bring up to three friends!" she exclaimed.

"Wait a minute! How do you know this and I don't?" Max asked quizzically. Iris giggled and stopped, then turned and pointed at Max with a grin.

"Because I'm your competition in this tournament!"

_**Somewhere in northern Unova...**_

"All right, everyone! Time for a break!" a man called out to a large group of pokemon. The pokemon relaxed and began doing various things: chatting, resting, continuing with practice battles.

"Yo! Ash!" the man turned to see his friend walking towards him with a glass of water.

"Hilbert, what's up? Something wrong?" he asked.

"Not at all, I just got a few things to tell about this tournament of yours." he said calmly, taking a drink from the glass.

"What can you say?" Ash asked, crossing his arms.

"It's going to be a big tournament, as you probably knew. Also, it's divided into three main rounds, each with a few more advancements than the last. It's going to be in a few days, so I've heard that a lot of trainers are already heading there for a better hotel room." he explained.

"Thanks for the info, Hilbert. I'm probably going to head out later today, just so you know." he said, turning towards his pokemon.

"Already? You just got here, man!" he said.

"Yeah, but I think I'm going to take in the scenery of Unova again. Once I get to the Pokemon League, I'm going to sign in and take a break." Ash explained.

"Well, I guess I should have seen this coming. You are Ash, after all." Hilbert sighed. Ash smirked as he returned all his pokemon to their pokeballs, with the exception of two, of course. Ash turned back to Hilbert when Zorua and Pikachu made themselves comfortable on his shoulder.

"Keep in touch, Hilbert. I'll be seeing you soon as the Arc Tournament winner." Ash held out his hand.

"No kiddin', just remember you'll have to get past Hilda." he said, returning the handshake. "Oh, wait! I almost forgot!" Hilbert said, dashing into the shack.

"When will he become normal?" Zorua sighed.

"Don't be mean, Zo." Ash said, making the fox turn her head. Ash saw the man dash back out, but with a box in his arms.

"I almost forgot, me and Hilda made these a few days ago." Hilbert said, holding the box out. Ash eyed him and the box, then took it from his arms and opened it. Surprised, he looked inside to see clothing. "We hate seeing you wear those same old clothes all the time, man. Hilda more than me." he said, shaking his head.

"Whatever." Ash said, walking away and into the shack. Pikachu and Zorua jumped to the ground, watching their trainer disappear inside the shack. The looked at each other, letting a few chuckles out.

"So, you two still strong as ever?" Hilbert asked, crouching to their level.

"Of course! What do you take Ash's pokemon for?" Zorua asked teleppathically with a hint of annoyance.

"It was a joke, Zorua. I know you two are the strongest of your species." Hilbert chuckled.

"You mean of the world! Ash trains the best in the world!" Zorua said.

_"PikaPi chu pika, pikachu pi."_

"I will exaggerate if I want to!" Zorua replied. Hilbert chuckled at the two, then heard a door. He looked over and saw Ash walking towards them with the box in his hands. Hilbert smirked, but the two pokemon gazed in surprise. Ash was now wearing black loose jeans with black skateboard shoes, with a white rim around the shoe's bottom and two white stripes of the sides. He also wore a white t-shirt with a black vest overtop, the zipper open at the collar. He put the box down in front of Hilbert, shaking his head with a smirk.

"Ash, you know it won't work without the bandana." Hilbert said, pulling a piece of light black cloth from the box.

"I don't know, Hilbert...my hair's pretty long again..." Ash said, smirking with a hand pointed to his head. Hilbert recognized the look, then walked towards the shack and stopped beside the door.

"I guess I've got time for a haircut, you're lucky my schedule's open." Hilbert said, smiling with a gseture for him to go in.

"Yes, I'll prepare you for the impending rush..." Ash said sarcastically as he walked past him.

"Get ready to meet a new man, you two." hilbert said to the pokemon, then stepped inside. Zorua and Pikachu looked at each other, then ran inside the shack. They sat in the corner, watching their trainer sit in a chair with Hilbert standing behind him. "Just a trim, sir?" Hilbert asked politely, but even the pokemon could sense the sarcasm.

"Quit the formalities, just the usual." Ash replied.

"You take the fun out of my job." Hilbert said, pulling a pair of scissors from a small cupboard beside him.

"More like a hobby." Ash said sarcastically. Hilbert rolled his eyes as he pulled out two combs, then went and turned on the nearby sink. He ran them under the water, then brushed Ash's hair straight up repeatedly until it was thoroughly wet and standing up.

"Perfect, now we just remove this...a little here..." Hilbert said to himself as he moved the scissors through his hair, then cut a small group of strands out. The pokemon watched as he made his scissors go all through the trainer's hair, bit by bit falling to the floor. After a few minutes, Hilbert stepped back. "All right, Ash, let's see it." he said. Ash stood up and turned around, and the pokemon couldn't help but gasp. Ash's hair was considerably shorter, but only Pikachu could really compare him to someone. Hilbert looked for a few seconds, then moved the scissors and cut off one last little bit. "There, perfect." he said, smiling.

"You still got that mirror?" Ash asked.

"I think so...it should be somewhere..." Hilbert said, looking around. He opened the drawer and peered around, then pulled out a circular shiny object. he handed it to Ash, who looked in it and ran his hand through his hair.

"...Not bad, Hilbert." Ash said, smirking.

"_PikaPi, pikachu pi chupi!"_

"Lt. Surge?" Ash asked, looking in the mirror. "...You're right, Pi, just a little shorter I guess." Ash chuckled.

"And the final touch to your new persona." Hilbert said, holding the black cloth. Ash took it and wrapped it around his head, tying it at the back. His hair was fairly short, but all spiked-up with the black bandana wrapped around just above his forehead, with a small bit dangling from the back. Ash thought it was sort of a crossover between Lt. Surge and Cyrus.

"Well, Hilbert, I gotta admit this is...actually pretty good..." Ash said, looking at his clothes.

"But of course, I made it." Ash arched an eyebrow. "...with Hilda's help."

"Well, good job. I'll tell her that when I get there." Ash said, stepping out the door followed by his pokemon.

"Wait, Ash! Take this too!" Hilbert called, carrying a small circular container in his hand.

"Hair gel?" Ash asked, reading the container. Ash shrugged his shoulders, putting his fingers in and grabbing some and running it through his hair.

"It helps with keeping your hair up, this stuff really works for days." Hilbert said.

"Even through sleep? Why do you have this, anyway?" Ash asked.

"Well...yes, and let's just say I was...experimenting..." Hilbert said, rubbing the back of his head. Ash smirked, shaking his head.

"Well, I'll see you later. I better get there before the good rooms are taken." Ash said.

"Yeah, I'll probably see you there anyway. It's boring here, and I've been thinking since you came I may as well go cheer you two on." Hilbert said, smiling.

"When exactly? I don't want to be taken by surprise." Ash said.

"Oh, I don't know...maybe two or three days?" Hilbert said, unsure.

"Good enough, I guess. Well, I guess I'll see you even sooner, then." Ash smirked.

"See you there, man. Get there safely." he said. Ash nodded, then turned and started walking with Pikachu on his shoulder, while Zorua walked beside him in its true form. "You know where you're going, right?" Hilbert called out.

"The Pokemon League is north from here!" Ash called back.

"It's actually northeast!" Hilbert called out. He saw Ash stop, raise his wrist, then turn and walk in a slightly different direction.

"Thanks!" Ash called back. Hilbert couldn't help but laugh.

"He'd be lost on his own." he said to himself, shaking his head.

_**In Kanto, Pallet Town...**_

"You're competing!" Max asked quizzically, mouth open. Everyone was gathered in the living room, surprised at what Max shouted when he came through the door.

"I said that over ten minutes ago." Iris said, rolling her eyes.

"...You..." Max couldn't speak.

"What Max means to say is...that's great, Iris! I guess you're happy you decided to enter the Kanto Pokemon league last year, after all!" May said happily.

"Thanks, May, I sure am." Iris smiled.

"Iris, you made final two? You didn't tell me that!" Dawn said.

"Well, you were busy with your crazy shopping spree at the end-of-the-year sale." Iris crossed her arms.

"Time well spent!" Dawn crossed her arms happily, smiling.

"So, Iris, you really think you'll go far in this tournament?" Misty asked.

"Of course! I earned my place in that final two!" Iris said, pumping a fist.

"_I can't believe she reminds me so much of him..."_ May thought, letting a giggle out.

"Well, you did beat the gym leaders fairly. That includes me and Misty, of course." Brock said, giving a chuckle.

"Yep! Now I'm gonna win the Arc Tournament!" Iris said, pumping her fist with a grin. Everyone shook their heads, thinking the same thing about a certain similarity.

"Well, I guess we should head over to Unova, then. We got two pumped-up competitors, and I think they'll blow this roof if we keep them here." Dawn said, giggling.

"I agree. These two, as well as many other competitors meeting for one of the biggest events, is certain to give many different battling flavours." Cilan said.

"Oh, enough of your conossieur-talk, Cilan." Iris rolled her eyes.

"Say what you will, you're not stopping me." Cilan replied.

"Oh, yeah! What if the new Arc Tournament champion commands it!" Iris replied angry, glaring at him.

"Of course I'll listen to Max or a strong trainer I don't know." Cilan replied calmly.

"Why you...!" Iris tried to lunge for him, but Dawn and Misty beside her held her on the couch.

"Calm down, Iris!" Dawn said to the Unova-native. Delia, Brock, May and Max sighed, watching the fmailiar event play out, as it does every day.

"All right, so who's up for catching the next ferry-plane to Unova?" Brock asked. Every head but Delia's turned toward him.

"I'm in!" everyone replied, somehow even Iris had forgotten about the anger she was just displaying.

"Well, the next ferry-plane you could get would be tonight, leaving at 8 PM." Delia said, earning a few confused looks. "I figured with Max's excitement and determination that he would want to get there quickly, so I looked up the schedule." she explained.

"Ooh..." Dawn said, then her face immediately brightened. "Misty, Iris, May...we have been wearing these outfits for a while now..." Dawn trailed off, seeing the looks of realization appear on their faces.

"I can't agree more, Dawn." May said, smiling. All girls in the room were smiling, two boys glanced nervously at each other, while the last one ... well, once Dawn announced her idea... ... ...

"Shopping time!"

"Nooooo!"

**END**

**I think you can figure out who said that last phrase on your own. It might have been good, bad, whatever, I can't really determine. Also, I don't know how many, if anyone, want to see a shopping scene, but I'm just going to describe their clothing in the next chapter and maybe put in a joke or two.**

**What happens when Ash arrives?  
>Will Hilda be surprised at his clothing?<br>Will Ash meet the others?  
>What mischief will Zorua get into?<strong>

**Also, I'm just going to skip the next few days, and go straight to the day of the tournament. Just so you know. Probably two or three days in, besides, Ash will only train and the ferry-plane would take a few days to land anyway. R&R! Don't forget about the shippings!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Again, hasn't been long. I was going to put this up a few days ago, but my family has been up my...**_**behind**_**...a lot lately. They think I'm lazy, but it's funny because I know I can't disagree with them. God, I wish I was more active. I'm a couch potato, but with a computer instead of a couch...well, that's enough about me! Don't forget to vote on the shippings! **

**Current standings : cavalier/orange(-optional) - 2 Ikari/ego - 0 **

**I don't own pokemon, you know the routine! all right, let's get this started!**

_**3 days later...**_

A fairly loud noise was heard through the subway terminals as a train screeched to a stop. A large croud of people flooded out, all chattering excitedly about an upcoming competition. The Arc Tournament, it started today. Among the crowd, seven figures stepped out together. "Finally!" the youngest sighed, stretching his arms and legs.

"Oh, be quiet, Max, it wasn't that bad." a brunette scolded him. She still wore a light blue blouse with sleeves a little less than half down her forearms, but now she wore light blue skinny-leg jeans, with yellow and red sneakers. Her golden brown hair flowed down just past her shoulders, wearing a white bandana with a black half-pokeball symbol. her parents had always said her body had grown past her age, and that was true. Her chest had grown surprisingly large, a C-cup. Her hips had broadened, as well as plenty of curves to make most guys fall over or drool at the sight.

"Max, listen to you sister." a blunette added, hands on her hips. her blue hair was flowing down her back, while her bangs loosely sat on her shoulders. She still wore the pink sleeveless blouse, but the hearts were gone. Her pink pants had become navy blue skinny-leg jeans, with pink and white sneakers. The pants had a small pink heart on the front of her right leg. She had not grown as fast as May, but she wasn't far behind. Packing a B-cup and almost as many curves, as well as broadened hips, she still had fun teasing the guys around her.

"Don't pick on Max so much, you two." a redhead told them. She wore a yellow sleeveless blouse with the right side's bottom tied down in a knot. She wore light blue skinny-leg jeans, lighter than May's almost faded to white, with small holes in the knees. She wore blue and white sneakers. This redhead had not grown as much as the other two, also packing a B-cup, but was the smallest bit smaller than the blunette's. Her hips had still broadened, but the blunette was ahead of her by the smallest bit. She still had plenty of curves, combined with her reputation still got her many guys going for her.

"All right, you three, leave the little guy alone." a spiky-haired man said.

"Thanks, Brock! At least someone's on my side!" the young boy, Max, sighed.

"We're not on sides, I'm just against him since he's my little brother." the brunette said, patting the boy's shoulder.

"May, you always use that as your excuse." the redhead sighed.

"Misty, didn't you say you had a conversation one day with Max? About respecting May?" the blunette asked curiously.

"Yeah, Dawn, I did." Misty told her.

"Hey, you still never told me about what you said!" May said, glaring at the redhead.

"hey, calm down..." Misty said, holding her hands out. She knew never to get on May's bad side.

"Like I said before, this group really does bring out many interesting flavours." a gree-haired man said, nodding.

"Oh, can it, Cilan." a purple-haired girl said.

"Iris, must you be so negative towards me?" Cilan asked.

"Yes, I must! Because you're annoying!" Iris said angrily.

"Iris, Cilan, don't start this again." Brock sighed, holding his head.

"As long as he stops his annoying connossieur-talk!" Iris crossed her arms.

"I can't, it's a full-time thing, Iris." Cilan said, smiling.

"Then stay away from me." Iris said, walking past Brock towards the terminal exit.

"Iris!" May called, chasing after her.

"May! Iris!" Dawn called, chasing after them.

"Get back here, you three!" Misty called, chasing after _them. _The three guys looked at each other, sighing.

"I suppose we have to go get them?" Cilan asked.

"Aww! Can't we just leave them? Iris lived in Unova, she can guide them!" Max said.

"No, we better go get them." Brock sighed, walking to the exit, followed by Cilan and a disappointed Max (In case you didn't catch on, the guys and Iris didn't change clothing).

_**Meanwhile, moving north...**_

"All right, guys. We're here." a man said, looking around with two pokemon on his shoulder who jumped to the ground.

"So this is the Pokemon league..." a small fox pokemon said telepathically, looking around. A small yellow mouse looked around with a long 'pikaaaa'.

"The Unova Pokemon League...it's been awhile..." the man smirked, looking around. It was pretty simple: a small forest, a hotel, and a large building where you could see four paths into four different stadium-sized rooms. Around those rooms were large pillars, surrounding the league's battlefields. All around the pillared league were rocks and rocky terrain, so it was a perilous journey to get there. As well as this, there were large numbers of people everywhere. "All right, Zo. Change form, I don't want anyone to get a head-start on my pokemon strategies." the man smirked, looking down at the fox.

"Fine, Ash." she said, jumping in the air and becoming a red swirl. A second later, she landed as a girl about Ash's height. "happy?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I am, Zo. Unless you want to walk around as zorua and get swarmed by cute pokemon-crazed girls..." Ash said.

"No, I'm fine like this." Zo said, smiling and nodding.

"Okay, let's go see if we can find Hilda." Ash said, walking to the forest. Zo followed with Pikachu on her shoulder as they walked through the trees. After a while, they came to a clearing. It was pretty small, but the size didn't matter. It was the tent, and the girl standing beside it with her wrist raised. Ash recognized the back of the girl from the videophone, now seeing she had jean shorts. "Hilda." Ash greeted. The girl turned around, then gasped as she ran over to the man.

"Ash! Oh my gosh, it's been too long! I was just about to call you!" she said excitedly, pulling the man into a hug.

"Well, it's only been a few days since we saw each other on the videophone..." Ash said, putting one arm around her and returning the hug.

"I meant personally!" the girl said happily, pulling back from him.

"How did you get my number, anyway?" Ash asked.

"I just looked at the number from when you called me before." Hilda said, holding up her wrist and showing the numbers on the screen.

"I see." Ash said, nodding with his arms crossed. Hilda was happy to see her friend, but was surprised. Not at him, but what he was wearing.

"Oh my gosh! Hilbert gave you the clothing?" Hilda asked.

"yeah, just before I left, as well as a trim. I have to thank you for these, they fit really well." Ash said, grabbing the collar and flipping it out.

"No problem, Ash! Just promise we'll visit more often!" Hilda said, holding out her hand. Ash sighed, shaking it. "All right! So, are you taking a hotel room?" she asked.

"Well, I was thinking about it on the way...but seeing the crowds here...I think all the good ones are probably gone by now." Ash said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Actually, I heard they're saving a few suites for some of the Elite trainers." Hilda said, smiling.

"You think they'll just hand me an Elite traine's suite?" Ash asked, eyebrow arched.

"Well...no, I'm just saying...hurry!" Hilda said, pushing him.

"You want me to have a room?" Ash asked.

"Well...I know she would want to watch some TV." Hilda said, pointing to Zo.

"You know who she is?" Ash asked, surprised.

"Are you kidding? After all her messing around the last time she visited, I can see through any of her transformations!" Hilda said, laughing.

"Aww, that's no fun! I like tricking people!" Zo said, turning to the side with her arms crossed. Pikachu jumped from her to Ash's shoulder.

"Come on, Zo. Don't be stubborn now." Ash said, holding his head.

"Well, _excuse _me!" Zo threw her arms in the air with a sigh.

"And just like that, she's gone." Ash sighed, raising the pokeball.

"No! not again!" Zo held out her hands, but the red beam retracted her before she could continue. Ash minimized it and put it in his backpack.

"She hasn't changed?" Hilda asked.

"Unfortunately, no. I've been trying, but she just won't drop the anger issues." Ash sighed, shaking his head.

"You'll get it one day." Hilda patted his shoulder, turning back to her tent. "Ash, if you can't get a room, you're welcome to stay here with me." Hilda said, looking back at him.

"I'll consider it. First, I'll try the rooms." Ash said, turning to the trees. After a few seconsd of walking, he was at the edge of the trees. "All right, Pi, return." Ash said, smirking. Pikachu nodded, turning around. Ash heard a zipper opening, then felt the weight shift from his shoulder to his back, then the zipper closed again. _"I hope he doesn't find those snacks..."_ Ash thought, then a happy 'pikaa!' was heard. _"Damn..."_ Ash thought as he walked up to the couter set up outside.

"Hello, are you here to compete in the Arc Tournament?" a cheerful woman with pink hair in two rings behind her head greeted.

"Yes, Nurse Joy. Initials A.K." Ash told her, he couldn't risk saying his name out loud in case someone knew him and heard. The woman typed some keys on the computer keyboard beside her, then reached under the counter and pulled out a key.

"There's only one A.K. here, so you must be him. Here's your key, room 208." she said happily, handing him the key.

"Thank you. You know, if you saw my name...aren't you surprised to see me?" Ash asked. How had she not reacte wildly?

"To be honest..." she leaned closer, as did he. "I'm paid not to judge any of the entries today, so even though it doesn't look like I'm surprised, I'm more surprised than ever. It's good to see you're back from your disappearance." she whispered with a smile.

"I understand, and I feel good to be back." Ash replied, smiling.

"So, I'll just need the name you'll use in your battles. I suppose after these past few years you won't want to use your name right away." she giggled.

"Yeah." Ash replied, scratching his chin. Ash looked around, hoping to get an idea.

"Havnig troubles thinking of a name?" Ash heard the nurse whisper. he nodded, still looking around. "Might I suggest some ideas to help you decide?" Ash looked back at her, then nodded. "If you're trying to hide from someone, then try your middle name or re-arrange the letters in your name. I give that advice to everyone who can't decide." she said with a smile.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy." Ash smiled.

"Not to mention I don't need your name until six tonight. I only need it before the competition starts, which is at six." she said.

"Thanks, I'll be back sometime later then." Ash said, turning away.

''Good luck." she said. Ash sighed as he pushed through the trees again.

"Man, Pi! Who thought it would be so difficult to come up with a name!" Ash asked, frustrated as he held his head.

"Ash, you're back already?" a feminine voice called out. Ash came through the trees, seeing Hilda with a small bowl and spoon by a pot over a fire.

"Yeah, it doesn't take long, you know. I got the room key, but I can't decide on a fake name." Ash said, sitting on the ground near her.

"Here, have some." Hilda said, holding her bowl towards him. he eyed it, then took it and watched her pour another bowl.

"...Thanks, Hilda." Ash said, taking a small spoonful in his mouth.

"No problem, Ash." Hilda said. Ash sighed as he felt the soup go down his throat.

"...Man...are you using a fake name?" Ash asked.

"Why would I? I have nothing to hide." Hilda replied calmly, sipping some more soup.

"Lucky." Ash muttered, taking another spoonful.

"Ash, why not just Shadow or something? It's your name re-arranged with a D, O and W." Hilda pointed out.

"...I don't know...doesn't that make me sound like the grim reaper or something?" Ash asked.

"No one will think you're the grim reaper unless you're named Death." Hilda replied calmly.

"Man, you're no help..." Ash sighed.

"Hey!" she snapped.

"All right, you're helpful." Ash sighed again, holding his head with one hand.

"Okay, let's see...Shadow, James, Zoark, Zorro, Sato, Atoshi, Toshi...Toshiba...Matoshi...Macintosh..."

"Hilda, we're not thinking of cars and computer brands!" Ash sighed heavily, sipping more soup.

"All right, all right...Shadow and Satoshi are the two most reasonable for me."

"Wait...how about Dashow?" Ash asked, Hilda began laughing.

"That sounds like hippie talking about a TV show! It's da-show!" Luckily, Hilda had finished her soup during the name game, or it would have spilled on her while she rolled around on the ground laughing.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up…" Ash sighed, holding his face in his palms. He felt something on his shoulder, then looked over to see Pikachu with a smile. "Thanks, buddy, I knew you'd always stand by me." Ash said, stroking the mouse's chin.

"…Ash…" Ash looked over to see Hilda sitting again, finally over her laughing. "Honestly, I'm sorry about that, I got a little carried away…but I think you should just go with one of the ones I said." she said with a smile.

"…Fine. If you laugh so much when I think of one, it pains me to think of what would happen if I entered with one of my names…" Ash sighed, shaking his hand with his eyes in his palm. Suddenly, he heard voices.

"I told you that was not fun!" Ash looked towards the trees, thinking. It was a boy's voice.

"What's up? Imagining things?" Hilda asked.

"Didn't you just hear that voice? It seemed so familiar…" Ash said the last part to himself.

"yeah, there are _other_ competitors here, you know." Hilda said, holding her hand on her hip. Ash shook his head, thinking it must have been nothing.

"Shut it, Max! Shopping is good for you because it helps with your patience!" Ash's attention was drawn again to the voice. This one sounded like a girl.

"May, Max, calm down! We're not here to fight, we're here to watch Max and Iris compete!" another, more masculine voice told them.

"That's right!" a second feminine voice said.

"_These aren't in my head…! But…if they're who I think they are…!"_ Ash gulped, not wanting to finish that thought.

"Ash? Stop spacing out!" Hilda said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Ssh! Don't say my name!" Ash whispered, glaring at her to be quiet. Through the trees, a man turned around.

"What's up, Brock?" Max asked.

"…Nothing, I thought I just heard someone familiar…" Brock replied, still watching the trees. "_I didn't imagine that…but it's been years…"_ Meanwhile, Ash had left Hilda to check out his hotel room. He noticed the sun glowing orange, starting to lower in the sky. but, looking at the hotel room meant going into the open. He didn't feel safe all of a sudden. Not after those voices. He called Pikachu into his backpack, who went in without question due to the tone of its trainer. Ash peered through the bushes, but didn't notice anything suspicious or familiar. He cautiously stepped out, but tried not to look to suspicious while he was sneaking about. Believe Ash, it was pretty hard. He walked towards the hotel, which was conveniently placed _behind_ the counter of Nurse Joy. He sighed, he had to get in somehow and someday.

"Oh, hello again!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully as she noticed Ash walk near the desk towards the hotel entrance.

"Hello, Nurse Joy. Is your job any fun?" Ash asked.

"Well, I guess you could say that. It's kind of boring, but I enjoy the social life." she said, giving a smile and a key to another trainer.

"You must feel bored at some point, standing behind this desk for hours." Ash said, crossing his arms and leaning on the counter.

"To be honest, I do…but that ends when more trainers come in." she said cheerfully, giving out another key.

"I wish I could be like you. Carefree, not having to worry what others think…not to mention you could do any crime you wanted, since there's like hundreds of you." Ash said with a chuckle.

"The life of crime is for those who never see their life path. Do you see your life path?" she asked.

"…I'm not sure what you mean, so I'm going to say no." Ash said, looking over to admire the building. He saw the orange sun just barely peeking over the top, while shadow covered practically all the ground around them. Ash hadn't noticed in the past few minutes, but somehow, everyone disappeared into the hotel and nearby camp sites without him noticing.

"Well, I guess no one understands on the first try." the nurse sighed, watching seven figures walk to the desk.

"Hello, Nurse Joy. We'd like a key-"

"- To your heart! And with it, I shall enter the beautiful room of you, Nurse Joy, and I will-!"

"-Get dragged out by three figures, like every time."

Ash flinched. Those voices…he knew those voices…

"Okay, can I have your names?" the nurse asked. Ash wasn't looking, but he could recognize them all by their voices.

"I'm Iris, and the small boy back there is Max, he's competing too." a feminine voice said.

"I'm so sorry, but we're out of rooms. I apologize for the disappointment." the nurse replied sadly. Without much movement, Ash managed to glance down and notice no keys under the counter.

"Aww, man! That sucks!" a childish voice whined.

"Max! Don't say that!" a feminine voice said, followed by a single 'knock' noise.

"Ow!"

"I guess we'll just have to camp out, then."

"How did you recover so fast?"

"I have my ways, young one, I have my ways…"

"Oh, be quiet, Brock. You recovered from a toxicroak, a young adult woman, and teenage boy."

"…Way to make me feel better…"

"Guys! Don't get off topic! We were talking about camping out!"

"What! I can't camp out! It'll ruin my hair!"

"Dawn, no one cares."

"Hey! Watch it, tough guy! You think you're tough, but you're small!"

"All right, I give in!"

"Dawn, don't bully my brother!"

_"…*Sigh*_…"

"Only _I_ can do that!"

"What! May!"

"All right, guys! Enough with the useless chattering!" the older male's voice rang out. Ash smirked; even after five years, he was still the father figure to all of them. "We're cmping out, we're not talking about Dawn's hair or bullying Max, just camping!"

"But I don't want to camp out! Can't Misty, May and I just try to get a guy to give us his room?" the blunette's voice asked.

"No, we're not here to trick guys." Misty sighed.

"Hey! Why didn't you include me in there!" Iris asked angrily.

"That's because you're-"

"Dawn!" the brunette's voice shouted.

"What?" she asked innocently. Everyone sighed, including the nurse and Ash.

"Nurse Joy, are you sure there's no more rooms left?" May asked. Ash could make out the nurse's head shaking sadly, then heard some of the others sigh.

"Well, Brock, you better get your tent out…" Max said sadly, turning around.

"You're right, Max…let's go, everyone." Brock said, turning around.

"This leaves a rather disappointing fragrance to it…" a green-haired man said with a sad tone, following the other two guys.

"You know, I'm too disappointed to argue with you about your stupid talk." Iris sighed, following them.

"Now I actually kind of regret shopping, we could have made it before they were all gone…" MIsty said sadly.

"…Something's wrong…even I feel bad about the shopping…" the blunette said, shaking her head. May and Misty laughed weakly, then Ash could hear their footsteps getting quieter. He felt bad, disappointed, kind of guilty. He took one of those rooms, but something could help.

"Wait."

The three girls turned around, wondering who that was. Even Nurse Joy looked surprisingly towards the man leaning on the counter, his face hidden by the shadows from the sun behind the building. "Excuse me, but…who are you?" Dawn asked rather impolitely.

"Dawn! Don't be mean!" May scolded, lightly punching her arm. Dawn rubbed the spot she hit and glared at the brunette.

"I'm sorry for my friends." Misty said, holding her hand in front of them and stepping forward. "What my blue-haired friend meant to say was-"

"Why did I stop you?" the three girls flinched at the deep, yet alluring voice asked. The three couldn't help but feel a strange feeling in their chest.

"…Y…yes." Misty stuttered, nervous to be closer to the man than her friends.

"I understand your curiosity, but words aren't my reason." Ash replied, trying to keep cool. He heard three quiet 'huh's in doing so. He smirked, lowering his head, he stood up straight and walked towards the trees beside the hotel. Fortunately, Hilda was camping not very far from that spot.

"What do you mean, sir? Where are you going?" Dawn called to him. The four women noticed him stop, then turn slightly.

"This is my reason." Ash said, extending his arm in the air in their direction. The three girls wondered what he meant, but a small glinting item in the air gave their answer. May reached out and caught the item, looking at it. A key. They looked up to see the man still standing there.

"…You're giving us your hotel room? Why?" May asked.

"I figured three beautiful women like you wouldn't want to sleep outside, judging form your conversation earlier." Ash replied, still concealed in the shadows. The three girls turned red as they watched him turn, beginning to walk again.

"Wait! Can we at least have your name?" Dawn called out. As he kept walking, the girls sighed and thought there was no answer. The three didn't notice the man turn his head, looking at them, then Nurse Joy. Suddenly, as if reading their mind, they heard the same voice call back a single word.

"…Shadow."

**END**

**Oooh, so he took Hilda's name after all! What will happen next?**

**What mischief will Zorua get into?  
><strong>**Will the others question Ash/Shadow?  
><strong>**What will Hilda think of this?  
><strong>**Will she meet the others?  
><strong>**Will the others meet Zorua?  
><strong>**How will the men+Iris react at the girls getting a room from a strange man?**

**R&R for all will be revealed! Later!**


	8. Chapter 8

**All right, here's chapter 8. I know it hasn't been long, but I'd rather do this than my stupid math homework (it's too easy, I'm a genius). Read it, like it, hate it, whatever.  
>The voting for the shippings are still open, if anyone really cares anymore. I've got two votes, but not surprised really.<br>Read and review! I don't own pokemon and all that jazz!**

Ash smirked as he walked back through the trees, seeing the tent a few feet away. He stepped into the moonlit clearing, giving a yawn and stretching his arms. He took off his backpack and opened it, letting a yellow mouse crawl out and stretch.

"Well, you're back early." a feminine voice said.

"Gotta live a little, Hilda." he replied, untying the cloth and removing it from his head. He noticed a female figure crawl out of the tent, standing a few feet from him. There appeared to be a lamp lighting the tent.

"You've lived for about five years now, when will you stop?" Hilda asked sarcastically, pulling her cap off.

"You know how life is. You give, you get, you live, you fret." he answered, then gave a questioning look.

"Did you mean to be poetic there?" she asked.

"...No..." he said, scratching his chin. Hilda sighed

"Whatever, what happened to your hotel room? Don't like the indoors anymore?" she inquired.

"Indoors can't get you the real experience of life." Ash replied, sliding his vest off and putting it inside his pack.

"There you go again, with that living talk..." she sighed, walking low as she moved into the tent. He noticed her head poke out again. "You not coming?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I'd rather sleep one with nature, thank you." Ash replied, crossing his arms.

"Fine, whatever you want. Night." she said, turning back into the tent.

"Night." he said back, noticing the light in the tent dim as he turned toward the trees. Pikachu obedientally followed beside him, going where he goes. Ash looked around, shaking his head. "Man, Pi...there are no good branches around here..." he said, looking around. He was answered by a disappointed ''_pii_''. "Guess we're taking the ground tonight..." Ash said in a disappointed tone, dropping his bag beside the tree. Pikachu stepped forward and opened the bag, pulling out a black article of clothing. He lied against the tree, placing the clothing on top of him as a blanket. Ash sighed as he sat beside the mouse, lying down beside the tree. "Tomorrow's a big day, Pi...the competition starts, and we're gonna dominate." he whispered, getting comfortable as he smiled to the mouse.

_"Pikapi, pikachu pi pika pikachu?"_ the mouse replied in a questioning tone. Ash lied on his back with his arms behind his head, looking at the star-filled sky.

"I don't know, Pi...after five years, they'd nearly kill me if I just introduced myself again..." he muttered.

"_Pikapi, pikachu chupi."_ the mouse replied.

"I know, Pi...I can't hide forever. Once the third round starts...I'll have to give my real name..." he sighed, closing his eyes. "...I just wish I hadn't left like I had..."

_Flashback_

_"Come on, Ash! Hurry up!" a redhead female called out._

_"Yeah, Ash! You don't want to be late for your own party!" a spiky-haired man called. Behind them was a boy, a few years younger, watching the ground as he trailed slowly behind them._

_"I'm coming." he replied, giving a quiet sigh. The two looked at each other questioningly, then shrugged as they continued. The boy averted his fascination with the ground to the golden trophy in his hand._

_"_Pikapi?"_ the yellow mouse on his shoulder asked gently._

_"I'm fine, Pikachu. I'm just thinking..." Ash replied, giving a weak smile. Pikachu nodded, but gave a small frown._

_"There's Pallet Town!" he looked up to see his male friend pointing down a hill. Once he caught up with them, he saw a few houses in the distance._

_"Come on, Ash! Let's get to that buffet!" his female friend said cheerfully, lightly hitting his shoulder. He couldn't resist a smile._

_"Okay, let's go." he said, starting down the hill._

_"What do you think's on his mind, Brock?" the girl asked the man beside her._

_"I don't know, Misty. But it's something big." he replied, frowning as he watched __**(?)**__ the boy walk ahead of them._

_"Well, maybe we can ask him later." she said, starting down the hill._

_"Yeah...or maybe it's about her..." the man muttered, following close behind._

_A few hours later..._

_The party at Professor Oak's Laboratory had gone as a usual party had gone: celebratory 'congratulations!' from everyone, cake and the buffet, a side-party for the pokemon, the works. However, one person wasn't as happy as everyone else was._

_"Come on, Ash, don't be mopy!" a brown-haired man said, giving him a pat on the back._

_"Sorry, Tracey. Just thinking of something." Ash replied, giving a weak smile as he watched the pokemon in the distant field._

_"Something, or some_one_?" Brock inquired with a smirk. Ash looked at him blankly, then sighed as he started walking away. _

_"Hey, guys." Ash said, sitting against a tree. All his pokemon knew he wasn't feeling well._

_"_Bay?"_ Bayleef asked caringly._

_"I'm fine, Bayleef. It's just..." he trailed off, looking toward his Unova team. "...We won that competition by luck. Sheer luck." he replied, getting a few gasps from his pokemon._

_"_Pikapi, pikachu pika pika pi._" Pikachu said, tugging on his arm._

_"I know everyone worked hard, Pikachu. It's just...Trip was a strong opponent, and we won with strategy...but he could've just as much as I could have." Ash said, taking off his cap and running his hand through his hair._

_"_De dewott, wott wott."_ the water-type Unova starter said questioningly, tilting its head in confusion._

_"It ended in a standoff, Dewott. Towards the end, his Serperior brought the battle back to even odds. After a short battle between it and Pikachu...it was a battle of will." he said, giving a sigh._

_"_Pikapi, pikachu pika chupi!"_ Pikachu replied angrily._

_"It could have been, Pikachu. Serperior is a naturally strong-willed pokemon, and nature tells us it would go to its last breath for its trainer. In that competition...when the staredown started, Serperior looked at me for a split second." A few gasps were heard. "I saw its eyes...determination, pain, anger, disappointment...and fear."_

_"_Vine?"_ a green lizard-like Unova pokemon asked._

_"Yes, fear. As you know, death is inevitable...and Serperior knew that. It's a very loyal pokemon, and fought incredibly hard in that tournament...but like everyone else...it fears death." Ash replied._

_"_Nite nite, pignite!"_ an orange pig-like pokemon said, giving a stomp._

_"That's true, Pignite, everyone is afraid of death naturally. But the most loyal of pokemon...the hardest battlers...they are most afraid. They fight with every ounce of strength they have, combined with the will of their heart and spirit, and loyalty to their trainer...it makes a deadly power." Ash explained, looking at the party not-so-far away._

_"_Scraggy, scrag scrag scraggy."_ another Unova pokemon said to its trainer._

_"Every pokemon has four essential things to make it a pokemon: elemental powers, spirit, will, and loyalty. Combining each of these in a super tough battle...it creates a power unknown even to the user. The power can be helpful in the battle, defeating the opponent...but it could also have a dangerous effect on the pokemon's health." Ash explained._

_"_Pikachu pika chupi."_ Pikachu said, patting his shoulder._

_"I know, Pikachu. You would fight 'til the end for me...but that's what I'm afraid of. I don't want you to have to release that kind of power for me, not with the risks. I think Infernape would know the best." Ash said, looking at the fire monkey. It gave a nod with a small frown. "Your Blaze ability in the past has lead to a fiery rampage, twice. But with evolution comes greater power to control, and you were able to do that. That is one of the luckiest things on my journey that comes to mind, I would hate myself if I caused any of you real harm...or worse..." the pokemon frowned sadly as they watched their trainer lower his head, a few tears rolling down his cheek._

_"_Sceptile scep, scep sceptile."_ a large green lizard said._

_"...You say you'd go to the end...but I'm not going to let that happen." a few pokemon gasped. "I'm not letting my pokemon risk their lives for me. Never. Instead, we're going to train like we've never done before." Ash looked up with a smirk and determined eyes. A few pokemon smirked back._

_"_Bayleef bay, bay."_ Bayleef said, extending a vine and shaking it back and forth in front of him._

_"That's just it, Bayleef." she gave a questioning look. "We all know my mom is overprotective of me, and she would yell so much for training non-stop. And that leaves us with one option...no matter how painful it is..."_

_End Flashback_

"...Everyone...I'm sorry..." Ash thought, feeling the drowziness take him over. Meanwhile, nearby in the forest...

"There, done." Brock said, standing up and looking at the tent before him.

"Okay, I don't know about you two, but I'm bushed. G'night." Iris said, disappearing inside.

"Well, I'm going to turn in too." Cilan said, stepping towards the tent beside it. Max followed silently, giving a yawn.

"I'm going, too. I hope those three aren't getting in trouble..." Brock said, looking at the trees in the direction they came.

"With Dawn, I'm not sure...but at least they don't have Iris with them." Cilan stated, crawling in the tent.

"Shut up!"

Brock chuckled, but felt sad. All this fighting, happiness, friendship, it reminded him of the best time of his life. When he had another friendship to worry about. "...Ash...I still remember that day..."

_Flashback_

_**Continuing from when Ash walked away...**_

_"What? No loud and overreactive denial?" Brock asked, surprised._

_"Do you mean about May?" Misty asked._

_"Yeah, he always denies it. But this...this is something huge..." Brock said, looking at the figure walking away._

_"Speaking of May...have you seen her? I sent the invitation like Professor Oak said, but I haven't spoken to or seen her since." Tracey said._

_"...Now that you mention it...I haven't seen her, either. Did she even come here?" Misty asked, looking around._

_"I don't think she would miss it for the world, guys. You know how she is around Ash." Brock told them._

_"But...if we haven't seen or heard her...and we don't know if she's here...where is she exactly?"_

_**About an hour later...**_

_"Brock, can you get those plates?" Delia asked, gesturing to a few plates on the table._

_"No problem, Ms. Ketchum." Brock replied, grabbing them and piling them in his hands. The two walked into the laboratory's kitchen with piled of plates, placing them in the sink._

_"Brock, have you seen my Ash? I haven't seen him around for a while..." she said, holding a hand to her heart._

_"I'm sure he's out with his pokemon." he replied, turning on the faucet. Delia stepped towards the window, looking out._

_"Wait...where are the pokemon?" Brock gave a questioning look as he stepped beside her. He looked out: just a few tauros._

_"That's odd...maybe they're resting in the pokeball room?" Brock asked. After a few minutes of walking through the laboratory hallways, they came to the door. Brock pushed it open, peering inside to the darkness. He turned to the wall and flicked a switch, then suddenly the room was lit._

_"Ash's section is in the far corner, the professor set that aside for him after his Hoenn League." Delia said, pointing ahead. Delia walked in front of Brock as they looked at the variety of pokeballs in the slots around them. Soon, they were at Ash's section. But..._

_"They're gone!" Brock gasped. Delia and Brock stared, horrified at the empty wall in front of them. 29 pokeballs, but they knew whose those were._

_"...but...this can't be...!" Delia said, trying to keep calm as she looked around. Brock stared, then looked down each aisle. No dropped pokeballs, clues, anything. Brock stepped closer to the wall, looking at the control panel._

_"...Order by level...power...favourites?" he whispered, looking at the buttons. He noticed the small red heart labelled 'favourites', then pressed it. A quiet whirring noise was heard, then a few slots on the wall flashed red. Brock frowned, turning around and starting to walk away, then heard another noise. He turned around at a 'ping' and whirring noise, then was surprised to see what he saw. A single pokeball on a red tray beside the control panel. Brock took the pokeball curiously in his hand. "...He couldn't have left a single pokemon..." Brock muttered, pressing the center button. It popped open, revealing a small piece of paper inside. "Ms. Ketchum, I found something!" Brock called, taking the paper. In a few seconds, she was beside him, looking curiously at the paper. Brock unfolded it, revealing writing. The two read it in their heads silently, and upon finishing, Delia had tears in her eyes._

_"...Why..." she muttered, sniffling._

_"...It'll be alright, Ms. Ketchum...we better call everyone here to give the news..." Brock said, starting to the door. Delia followed closely, crying as she went. They ran into Professor Oak in the hallway, who was immediately sympathetic upon hearing the news. Suddenly, a ringing noise was heard throughout the lab. Brock and Oak looked at each other sadly, then looked at the door. The professor walked slowly towad it, took a deep breath, then opened it. The three gasped at the face they saw._

_"Hello, I'm so sorry I'm late! Where's Ash? I need to talk to him about something."_

_End Flashback_

"...She got there just as he went..." Brock muttered, looking at the moon in the sky. "_...Why, Ash? Just when you won...you leave, upsetting everyone...especially her..."_ Brock thought sadly, crawling in the tent and lying in the seperate sleeping bag beside Cilan and Max. Just as he closed his eyes, a loud voice rang out.

"Guys! Wake up! We got a hotel room!"

**END**

**Sorry a few questions were unanswered, but I'll try to answer them next chapter. R&R!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Not even a day, I know. I just felt like the last chapter made it confusing, plus, I have more time.  
>Remember, vote on shippings! I'll probably go in three or four chapters, so you better hurry if you do care. You probably don't, though, I honestly don't care. I might even do the shippings that lost, who knows?<strong>

'What do you mean, 'got a hotel room'?"

Six friends were now standing together, three with happy expressions and four who looked confused/amazed.

"We got a room! Let's go!" Dawn stated happily, flashing the key and turning towards the trees again.

"Hold on!" brock interrupted, grabbing her shoulder. She looked back, confused. "...How did you get a key? Nurse Joy said they were all out." Brock said, looking at her intently. Dawn gave a nervous chuckle.

"...Well...we...uh..."

"Dawn, I said no flirting!" Brock told her, giving a sigh.

"You flirt with Nurse Joy! How's that any different!" Dawn retorted.

"I flirt because they're beautiful! I'm not trying to get a room from them!" Brock replied.

"You wish you could get a room..." Dawn muttered.

"What was that?" Brock asked.

"N-nothing!" Dawn said, waving her arms defensively.

"Brock! She didn't do anything!" Misty said, grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back.

"Then how did you get a key?" Cilan asked.

"Some guy gave it to us." Misty replied.

"What? What guy?" Brock asked.

"Just some guy. He was kind of creepy, though." Misty said, putting her finger to her chin.

"But you liked him! You're blushing!" Dawn stated happily, pointing to her pink cheeks.

"W-what! You liked him too!" Misty retorted, quickly putting her hands over her mouth as her face grew redder. Dawn also turned red.

"W-well...well you liked him too!" Dawn said, pointing at May.

"What! Why are you bringing me into this!" May asked rather loudly, growing as red as the other two.

"Because you like him! Don't deny!" Dawn replied, still pointing. Cilan stepped forward beside Brock.

"This group has a rather interesting fragrance in the constant babbling, wouldn't you agree?" Cilan whispered to him.

"Tell me about it." Brock sighed, giving a loud clap. Everyone immediately looked toward him. "All right, you three. We don't care who liked him. What we care about is-"

"Going to that hotel room!" everyone looked at Max, who was smiling with his hand in the air. "...sorry." he said sheepishly, rubbing his head.

"It's alright, Max. But you three..." Brock turned back toward the blushing trio. "...We would like to know who this guy is. Do you remember what he looked like?"

"Do I ever..." the three muttered quietly, but they didn't know it was a little _too_ loud.

"Care to tell us, then? We could use a description for finding him." Brock said, crossing his arms. The three girls looked at him with wide eyes.

"You heard me!" the three asked immediately, then looked at the other two. "You said it too!"

"Stop!" the three looked back at Brock, who looked very impatient and angry.

"...Uh...sorry, Brock."

"Yeah, sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"I don't care who's sorry, I just want a description without interruptions or distractions." Brock told them.

"Well, he was kind of tall...maybe a few inches taller than you and Cilan..." the two men glanced at each other.

"He also had this weird hairdo, it was like Brock's...but it's like it was gelled up..." Brock subconsciously moved his hand to his head.

"He wore a black vest over a white t-shirt, with black jeans. We never clearly saw his face, though, he was in the shadows."

"...okay, thank you." Brock replied, trying to put those attributes together in his mind.

"...I don't care about those things, though..."

"...He was just so..."

"...I hate to say it, but..."

"Dreamy?" Brock inquired, smirking.

"Yeah..." the three replied dreamily, standing in a daze.

"Come on, let's go to bed now. I think it's kind of late to go to that room now." Brock said, looking at the moonlit sky.

"I don't think those three will move anytime soon." Cilan said, pointing to the three girls.

"When my sister finds a cute guy, she's hard to bring to reality." Max said, rubbing his head. The three boys crawled in the tent, falling asleep in a few seconds. Unknown to them, a fourth feminine figure crawled out of the other tent and looked around confusingly, giving a yawn while rubbing her eyes.

"Wha...? Why are you three standing there like that?"

_**The next morning...**_

Ash stretched in his sleep, giving a yawn. That was, until he felt a weak static feeling go through his body. He opened his eyes lazily and saw a yellow mouse standing in front of him, tapping its small foot. "Wha...Pi? What is it?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eye.

"_Pikapi, chupi pika pi."_ Ash's eyes snapped open and he straightened up.

"The tournament starts today!" he exclaimed, giving another yawn.

"You sure looked comfy." he looked over to see a girl sitting on the grass, eating something from a bowl. "I didn't want to wake you."

"You could have anyway, I guess I never thought of breakfast before I left." he replied, rubbing the back of his head.

"Come on, I guess I can't let my biggest competition starve." she said, gesturing to the pot over a small pile of lightly-flaming logs. Ash stood and walked over, filled a bowl, then sat beside the pot across from her.

"So, Hilda, how far do you think you'll make it honestly?" Ash asked, looking at the soup in his bowl.

"I don't know...the second round, for sure...maybe the third..." she replied, thinking.

"You'll make the third, for sure. I'll probably make top four." Ash told her.

"Five years of training and you think you're going to make only top _four_? You'll most definitely make the finals."

"Don't be so confident in me, Hilda. You should cheer for yourself instead." Ash said, taking some soup in his mouth.

"I know, it's just that the battles we've had in the past show me that I'm close behind you, but can't beat you." she replied, swallowing a spoonful.

"Those battles you didn't know me as long as you do now. You know my strategies, so if we end up facing each other, I'll need to think of some new material." he told her.

"Definitely. And if we face each other, I want full power. No going easy."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Ash smirked. Meanwhile, in the forest nearby, seven figures were eating around their pot of soup.

"So, Iris, if you know everything, what time does the competition start?" Max asked.

"Around two o'clock this evening."

"..."

"Face it, Max, she's a better informative than you." May said, taking some soup in her mouth. Max frowned as he ate some more.

"Ah, I love being in this group." Dawn said happily, giggling.

"Not like you love that guy from last night." Misty said, smirking.

"You got something to say, hot-head?" Dawn asked threateningly.

"Orange hair doesn't make me a hot-head!"

"Yes it does!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"How long, Cilan?" Brock asked, Cilan raised his wrist and read his watch.

"It's 8 AM, so...half an hour."

"Damn." Brock muttered as he reached in his pocket, pulling out a 5-dollar bill and handing to the man. They both looked at Max.

"What?"

"Come on, you were in the bet too." Brock said. Max sighed, shaking his head disappointedly as he handed another to Cilan.

"Can't beat me at gambling." Cilan told them.

"Whatever." they grumbled, looking at Misty and Dawn, who were facing each other and still yelling. May, however, watched the boys in confusion.

"What was that about?" she asked them.

"we had a bet on how long it would be before an argument." Brock replied.

"I bet under an hour." Cilan said, smiling proudly.

"Don't worry, Cilan, we still got one more to go." Max said.

"What?" May asked.

"We had another bet to see how long before you were included in the argument." Max said.

"What? I'm not going to be included."

"Only a matter of time, May." Brock said, crossing his arms as he set the bowl beside him. Suddenly...

"May loves him too!"

"What! I do not!"

"Yes you do! You were drooling at him!"

"I was _not_!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"How long, Cilan?"

"A minute seventeen seconds."

"Dammit! Three seconds off!"

"Curse you, Cilan!"

"I can get rich off this."

A half hour later, the three girls finally settled down as Brock and Max were sobbing, while Cilan was happily smiling. Iris, however, was beyond confused by all of this.

"All right, everyone, I think we should head to the hotel room now." Brock said.

"I agree, so we don't have to carry our bags around with us all the time." Cilan said in agreement. "Since some of our wallets are heavier than others..."

"Shut up." Brock muttered, shaking his head as he walked toward the trees.

"Come on, everyone. Let's go!" Iris said excitedly, running past Brock and making him spin.

"Does she realize she doesn't have the key?" Max asked.

"Probably not."

"Whatever, let's go." after a few minutes of walking, they arrived at the door. Opening it, they looked inside and saw the basic room. A large TV across from a double-bed, a nightstand with an alarm clock, and a mini fridge. Aside from that, there was also a fairly big balcony with two lawn chairs, giving a great view of...the rocky terrain. The bathroom simply had a toilet, sink, and a shining white tub with a showerhead and curtain.

"Oh, I can get used to this..." Max said, smiling as he threw his bag on the bed.

"Hey! Who said you get the bed!" Iris asked angrily, glaring at him.

"Being a competitor-"

"Along with me."

"...Oh...well..."

"Lades first!"

"What! That's not fair!"

"No point arguing."

"..."

"...That's what I thought."

"Iris, cut it out. Come on, everyone, pick a spot for your sleeping bag and set your stuff down." Brock said, tossing his bag on the ground beside the bed where Max stood.

"Wait, help us decide who gets the bed!"

"I told you, ladies first!"

"I say the winner of a battle gets it!"

"I don't want to fight until the competition! I'm not letting you get my strategies!"

"Well, you could share."

"..."

"... ..."

"...What?"

"DON'T JOKE AROUND!"

Ash looked up, giving a strange look as he looked around the site.

"What is it?" Hilda asked, noticing his expression.

"...Nothing...thought I heard something..." Ash said, shaking his head as he grabbed his bag, slinging it over his shoulder and grabbing his bandana. He tied it tightly, feeling a slight breeze pick up through the area and lift the end of it off the back of his head. "So today marks our reign of champion." Ash said.

"What happened to 'don't get overconfident'?" Hilda smirked.

"That was for you, I can't get too high. Now let's go win, Pi!"

"He's gone." she sighed, watching him dash through the trees. When she came through the end of the bushes, she noticed a few groups of people chatting about various things. But one group at the entrance of the hotel got her attention particularly.

"Max, stop talking about battling." a spiky-haired man said.

"Well I'm not sleeping on the ground!" the shortest boy said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah you are." a girl with a large purple bush behind her said tauntingly.

"No!" he retorted.

"Guys, don't fight. Just be thankful that guy gave us his room." the green-haired man said.

"Yeah, we should find him and thank him!" a blunette said cheerfully.

"You just want to flirt with him." an orange-haired girl sighed, shaking her head.

"You do too!"

"No I don't! I didn't say I wanted to see him!"

"You were thinking it..."

"No I wasn't!"

"Girls, calm down. You don't have to fight every time someone ment-"

"You like him too!"

"Stop bringing me into these things! Jeez!"

"_Loooove!_"

"What?"

"...I don't know..."

"_Well, they seem to be rather...unique...I wonder why Ash gave them his room...?"_ Hilda thought as she walked by, towards the stadium.

_**Skipping to 2 o'clock...**_

"Attention, everyone!" a small man resembling Santa Claus said into a microphone. A large group of people in front of him looked up at the man on the podium. "Thank you. We are here today to begin the Arc Tournament, here in Unova!" a large eruption of cheering answered him. he held up his arms to motion silence. "Now, before we start I will explain a few things you need to know how this works. This tournament will be in three rounds. The first round will consist of three one-on-one matches, the second round with two double-battles, and the third will be full battles with the styles chosen by competitors. The rules are of any standard tournament. Battling is only permitted on the field, any battling outside the fields will be accounted and dealt with by the battle comittee. The hotel's lobby contains many pokemon transfer machines, so no need for shoving. The four battlefields will hold battles consecutively, so the tournament will take a week at the most. Finally, no desicrating. Now, we have a few words from two very special hosts to this tournament." the small man stepped to the side, watching two figures walk up the stairs out-of-sight to the trainers. When the two reached the top, everyone gasped.

"Thank you, Mr. Goodshow. It's great to be here." the man said into the micrphone, holding his arms out. He had long spikey red hair with a ponytail behind him down to his back, along with a necklace of pokeballs around his neck. He wore a type of white indian robe reaching just down to his knees, with white silken pants underneath. "Some of you may know me, and some may not, but I am Alder! The Unova Champion!" he called, earning a huge round of applause strong enough to break a young child's eardrums. "And this here, is the strongest competitor I've ever faced." he said, gesturing to the woman beside him. He stepped aside, she stepped to the micrphone. She had long blonde hair with two (horn things on lucario) earrings emerging from her thick hair. She wore black pants with a black half dress-like top, open on her front. She wore a silver dewdrop pendant on her chest frop her top.

"Hello, everyone. Like Alder, you may know me as the Champion from Sinnoh!" another really loud cheer. "Alder and I have been chosen amongst the champions to overlook this competition and await the strongest challenger here at the end. Halfway through the competition, Alder and I will battle to determine who will take on the strongest challenger on the final platform. I bid everyone here good luck, and may the strongest competitor win." she said, giving a small bow before stepping to the side beside Alder.

"Okay!" Charles Goodshow stepped back to the podium. "With the inspiring words from these two champions, who will emerge to face one of them in the end? I bid good luck to all of you, and without further ado, let the Arc Tournament...BEGIN!" the loudest cheer erupted as several hats were thrown into the air from various trainers, determined to win.

"_That question's already been answered."_ Ash thought to himself as he grinned. After a half-hour or so, everyone finally camled down and evacuated the pokemon league's main lobby. Ash walked towards the end of the group, smirking as he went with his hands in his pockets. All his pokemon were returned to their pokeball, and Pikachu to his backpack. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Trying to hide from me?" he turned to face Hilda.

"Not at all, just enjoying my time here." he replied.

"Yeah, right. you're thinking about something, but that doesn't matter to me. A few hours ago, I saw the group you gave your hotel room to..." Ash cringed at the thought. "...and I was wondering, why did you give it to them? They seem like a disfunctional group, the three girls were fighting very loudly and fiercely." Hilda explained.

"The blunette, redhead and brunette?" Ash asked.

"yes...how did you...?"

"Let's just say...the more social time of my life." Ash said, turning away.

"Social...? Wait, I know!" Hilda said, Ash turned back. "Do you want me to say it out loud?" she asked, smirking. Ash frowned as he walked closer. "...They're the old friends you told me about." Ash mentally cursed himself for telling her that.

"..."

"I knew it! So they're the ones you're hiding from!" she said victoriously.

"Keep it down. They could be anywhere." Ash said, glancing around.

"Yeah, yeah. So, why don't you just talk to them and try to become friends again?" she asked.

"I disappeared for five years, you think they're not going to overreact if I just walk up and say 'hi'?" Ash asked.

"I didn't mean in the past, I meant _now._ You have this new persona, Shadow, why not try to become the old Ash with Shadow?" she inquired, Ash was about to retort but stopped.

"...You know...that's not a bad idea...since I can't avoid them all the time..."

"See, you get it! Now come on, let's go check the battle schedule." Hilda said, walking away from him and towards the hotel. Ash sighed, following closely. The electronic doors opened, they stepped in and Hilda noticed a few people standing by the board. Ash, however, was walking towards nurse Joy behind the counter. She was watching the people at the board, then noticed Ash coming closer.

"Oh, hello, Shadow." she said, smiling.

"Hello, Nurse Joy. Job still fun?" Ash asked.

"Well, I can't really say it is now...not until the battles start, anyway." she said.

"I still don't understand how you do it, though. Acting so cheerful as if nothing matters in the world..." Ash trailed off, thinking.

"Well, that's because nothing really does matter." Ash looked at her. "Well, wars and stuff, yes, but personal issues don't really make the world go round. They're more of...luxuries, than needs." she explained.

"But how? If you don't have good records on personal stuff, than won't your life be miserable and like you said, not be able to see your life's path?" he asked.

"Only if you choose it to be." Ash felt something in his chest at those words, but couldn't quite put his finger on it...

"Hey, Shadow!" he turned to see Hilda walking toward him. "Thanks for just leaving me at the entrance." she said, holding her hands on her hips.

"Oh, hello, Hilda." Nurse Joy said.

"Hi, Nurse Joy. Sorry about my friend, if he's a problem-"

"No, not at all. I actually enjoy our conversations, they lighten my mood off the boredom in my job." she said, smiling.

"Okay, well, I'm afraid I have to take him back. We're looking at the schedule." she said, pointing the board that was now currently being unused.

"Okay, well, good luck to both of you in the battles." she replied cheerfully.

"Thanks, and good luck to you...finding excitement in the next few days." Ash said.

"If you visit every now and then, I will." she said happily, giving a wave. They waved, then headed to the board.

"All right, let's see..." Hilda looked closely at the electronic board with many small names in pairings. "...So...I'm battling first tonight at 7:30...while you are..."

"Battling tomorrow at 9:25 in the morning." he answered. She gave him a questioning look, then checked the board.

"...huh...how'd you find yourself so fast?" she asked.

"I have my ways." he replied.

"Okay...well I'm facing some guy named Joseph...while you're facing..."

"Derek." he replied. She shook her head, wondering how he saw these things before her. "Well, I'm heading back to the campsite." he said.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Eh, just feel like a nap." he said, giving a yawn. "Not to mention, I can tell Pi's tired of being in this pack." he said, pointing behind him.

"...Okay...well, I'll be walking around, so I wouldn't come looking if I were you..." she replied.

"It's okay, I got a friend coming anyway." Ash replied.

"Who?"

"This guy." the two looked over to see Hilbert, smiling at them. "Sorry I'm late, I myself got a little lost." he said, chuckling as Ash smirked.

"And you say I'd be lost." he said.

"You would be, you wouldn't be able to find the next town without a map." Hilbert told him.

"I don't need a map, I have flying-type pokemon." Ash said.

"I meant on foot."

"Whatever."

"Hilbert, what are you doing here?" Hilda asked.

"Oh, right, I told Ash I'd visit when the competition started. I figured you could use some support. Oh, and Ash, I heard from Hilda about your little generosity with the room." Hilbert said.

"When did you tell him this?" Ash asked.

"I called him just before the speech today. But I don't need support, I can manage on my own." she said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, right. Just like Ash, you'd be helpless without me." he said, smiling.

"Come again?" Ash asked threateningly. Hilbert gulped.

"Uh...nothing." he replied nervously.

"Good, well, I'm heading back to the campsite now. Hilbert, you can do whatever you want, I guess. You'll probably stay with Hilda, though." Ash said, walking past him.

"What?" he turned around, his cheeks lightly pink. Hilda's were as well. "I would not follow her around!"

"Yeah you would. _You_ would be lost without _her_." Ash said, beginning to laugh.

"Stop laughing!" Hilbert demanded.

"Ooh, I'm scared." Ash said sarcastically, turning back towards the doorway. In a split second, he turned back around again and stepped beside Hilbert with his back to the door.

"What's wrong?" Hilda asked. Ash only lowered his head as he lifted his vest a little, trying to hide his head. Hilbert and Hilda looked to the door, and saw seven specific people. Hilda knew the answer.

"Oh, come on, just face them. Like I said, be friendly with Shadow." she whispered.

"No way. Not doing it." Ash whispered.

"Wait, what?" Hilbert asked, still confused.

"You know the story of his old friends?" Hilda asked.

"Oh!" Hilbert said, looking back at them. "Now I get it!"

"I'm not facing them."

"_Now_ look who's scared."

"Shut up."

"Come on, do what Hilda says and be friends again."

"Do you know what they'd do to me if they found I was the friend who abandoned them without a word five years ago?"

"No, but I'm going to find out."

"Hilbert, where are you going?" Hilda watched as Hilbert casually walked towards the group at the door.

"Is he seriously going to do this to me?" Ash whispered, not looking back.

"Yes, either face it or run." Hilda said. Guess what he decided.

"Excuse me." Hilbert said politely.

"Oh, sorry." Brock said, stepping from in front of the door.

"Thank you." Hilbert said, but stopped as he looked at the man's face. Time for acting. "Hey...I know you...didn't you get a hotel room from some guy?"

"Well, that was my friends..." Brock said, looking at the three girls, who looked back innocently.

"Well, you're lucky. You see, I'm friends with that guy and he rarely does anything generous." Hilbert said.

"Really? You know him?" Dawn suddenly appeared in front of Brock, staring at Hilbert.

"Calm down, Dawn." Brock said.

"Yeah, he's my friend. He's always been more of a personal kind of guy, but for him to do something to someone else...there must have been something special about you three." he said, looking at the girls. They each grew red.

"Uh-oh, they're gonna start fighting again." Cilan said.

"how do you know?" Iris asked.

"I jsut have this sixth sense."

"Liar."

"Well, guys, I'm going to go check out the board." Max said, walking away.

"I better keep an eye on him." May said, following suite.

"Well, if you see your friend Shadow again, you can tell him we're all thankful he was generous." Brock said.

"He would say 'no problem'. By the way, I assume that boy who just left is entering?" Hilbert inquired.

"how'd you know?" Brock asked, surprised.

"I just get a battle vibe from him. Also...from you." Hilbert said, pointing at Iris.

"Wow, you're good! Can you teach me that?" Iris asked.

"Well, I don't know if it's something I can teach..." Hilbert said, rubbing the back of his head. Suddenly, a voice they all recognized caught their attention.

"Hey, I know you! You're that Shadow guy, right?"

**END**

**Oooooh! I know, I'm stupid and I disappoint myself. This was rather long, I must say, and please don't complain. Seriously, though, vote on the shippings, I don't like having to decide between two things.**

**This is where I would usually put some questions, but I don't feel like it...actually, I have some questions, not relating to the moral of teh story, though.**

**Will Max win a bet against Cilan?  
>Will Brock win a bet against Cilan?<br>Will Cilan become rich off those two in the next few chapters?**

**Give me your opinion, it's kind of a side-story. Along with the shippings. R&R!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello again. Update on my life; nothing. Still lazy. Still a genius. Still hating it all. Also, there will be conflict in this chapter, so...yeah. Past comes back, fighting, yada-yada.**

**I don't own pokemon, would be cool if I did though. Doing whatever I want to Ash...probably making him lose all the time. But you get the message, I don't own anything.**

_**A few seconds earlier...**_

_"Do you know what they'd do to me if they found I was the friend who abandoned them without a word five years ago?"_

_"No, but I'm going to find out."_

_"Hilbert, where are you going?" Hilda watched as Hilbert casually walked towards the group at the door._

_"Is he seriously going to do this to me?" Ash whispered, not looking back._

_"Yes, either face it or run." Hilda said. Guess what he decided. Quietly, he lowered his head, looking at the ground as he snuck behind Hilda and began heading left. Unfortunately, that was the direction of the battleboard. And in that direction, there was something hard in his way. He curiously looked up, but immediately regretted it._

_"Hey, I know you! You're that Shadow guy, right?"_

Ash mentally cursed himself for being curious, for he was staring into the face of the brunette he knew too well all those years ago. "...Yes, may I help you?" he asked politely, but he couldn't hide his hard tone too well.

"It's nice to run into you again. Since we're talking, I just want to thank you for the hotel room." she said, tilting her head and giving a smile.

"No problem, now I'm kind of late for a thi-"

"May?" Ash mentally cursed again. He glanced to see six familiar figures walking their way. Two girls were smiling and blushing, two men and a girl were eying him suspiciously, while the last man was smiling and shaking his head.

"May, did you say Shadow?" Brock asked, looking at Ash. He noticed May about to speak, but a blue blur appeared between them.

"Oh my gosh, Shadow! Good to see you again!" Dawn said excitedly, beaming brighter than the sun.

"Hello again." _"How the heck is she so damn happy?"_ Ash smirked weakly.

"It's been too long, Shadow." the redhead greeted.

"It hasn't been a day." Ash remarked.

"Oh...right...I knew that..." Misty said, rubbing her arm.

"Smooth." Ash heard the blunette whisper. "Well, Shadow, I wanted to thank you for the hotel room!" Dawn said cheerfully. He noticed Misty open her mouth to add on, but he raised his hand.

"No need, I can feel the gratitude from you three." he said, lowering his hand. He could have swore he heard a girl muttering something about 'anything else', but he shrugged it off.

"Mr. Shadow, my name is Cilan and I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." the connoisseur spoke, stepping forward and holding his hand out. Ash returned the handshake.

"The name's Brock, nice to meet you."

"I'm Max, good to meet you."

"I'm Iris!"

"I'm Misty, Cerulean Gym Leader."

"I'm May, it's nice to meet you."

"I-I'm Dawn."

"The pleasure's all mine." Ash said, returning everyone's handshake. He couldn't help but noticed the three red faces, looking at the ground.

"Jeez, Shadow, I've never seen this polite side of you before." everyone looked at Hilbert, who had his hands behind his head, smirking.

"Keep it up and it'll end like last time, Hilbert." Ash said threateningly, Hilbert's eyes widened as he immediately put his hands in his pockets and looked away.

"What happened last time?" Brock asked. Ash and Hilbert looked at each other, one frown and one smirk.

"Well, let's just say my flying-type pokemon are better at hunting than he is hiding." Ash replied, crossing his arms. Hilbert shuddered.

"Speaking of which, Shadow, how good a trainer are you?" Max asked.

"Max! you don't just ask things like that!" May said, punching her brother square on the top of his head.

"It's no problem, I get it a lot. Well, Max, let's say once I win this tournament, the champions of all regions won't know what hit them." he smirked.

"Wow, that's talking pretty big..." Brock muttered.

"I bet you're not so tough. Come on, I'll take you on!" Max said, pumping a fist. Ash couldn't help but give a yawn.

"No thanks, kid. I'm kind of tired, and I don't need my pokemon unnecessarily working." Ash said, closing his eyes as he turned.

"What are you, afraid?" Ash froze, feeling a slight electric charge in his back. "Come on, I bet you're not as tough as- OW!" he glanced back to see the boy rubbing his head, while a brunette had her arms crossed and smiling.

"I'm sorry about my brother, he's a dork." she said, looking at Ash. He turned back.

"...Again, no problem. I always run into the over-confident types."

"Hey! I'm not over-confident, I'm just as confident as I need to be to win this!" Max said, pumping another fist.

"That's what I was saying years ago, kid, but that's how I kept losing." Ash said.

"What?" he asked.

"I was just like you, back in my younger time. But then, I wasn't strong like I am now, I was just a petty child not stopping to look at the world in the right perspective. Tell me, kid, how'd you get here?" Ash asked, facing him.

"...Well...I came runner-up in Johto's Silver Conference..."

"And what else? Have you _won_ anything?"

"...Well...no, not exactly..."

"And I'm guessing just like now, during the times you've entered tournaments you were confident you were going to come out on top and be an all-star? Tell me, am I right?"

"...Er...now that I think about it..."

"Exactly. You can't rely on gut instinct, kid. You need the basics: knowledge, strength, and balance." Ash told him.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Max asked.

"Max," Brock started. "I think he means you need those things to be a successful trainer. Knowledge for knowing your type matchups and pokemon abilities, strength for giving your opponent the run for his money, and balance for having a team that can be against any type with a possible strength advantage." Brock concluded, putting his hand on Max's shoulder.

"...You're a wise man, Brock. He's got it right, Max." Ash said, turning again.

"Wow, Shadow! That's amazing!" Ash sighed quietly upon hearing the blunette's voice. "I've never heard a speech like that before! You're so awesome!"

"I've been told that by the trainers I beat." Ash replied, taking a few steps towards the doorway.

"Like I said, not a man of many words." Hilbert said, shrugging his shoulders.

"You know, Hilbert...he kind of reminds me of a guy named Paul." Hilbert noticed Ash stop. "Do either of you know him?" Brock asked.

"Well, I've never known him personally. I've only heard stories." Hilbert replied.

"I've known him." everyone looked at Ash, turned slightly toward them again. "He was a strong competitor, one for sheer strength."

"But I bet you've heard that was also his downfall, Shadow." Brock remarked.

"That may be true, but he had the right idea." a few of them gasped from Ash's words. "He may not have loved his pokemon, but how many trainers really beat him?" he asked, facing them again.

"Well, there was our frie..." Brock trailed off, not wanting to finish the painful sentence.

"Friend? ...The kid from the Sinnoh League?" Ash asked, noticing a few nods as everyone looked at the floor. "...The kid got lucky."

"What'd you say!" everyone looked at Max surpisingly, seeing his clenched fists at his side.

"You heard me right, he got lucky." Ash replied.

"Shadow, you might be taking this too far..." Hilbert said.

"I'm going just far enough to teach some trainers the hardships of life." Ash replied coldly, surprising Hilbert. He'd seen Ash in all kinds of situations, but not like this...

"How did he get lucky, Shadow?" Brock asked, crossing his arms. "Our friend's loving relations with his pokemon made him win. There was no luck, it was determination and love."

"This'll be entertaining." Ash muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he took another step closer to them. "Don't defend your friend, you know he was weak."

"That's not true!" everyone looked at the angry redhead. "He was the best trainer I knew! He never officially beat me, but I'll admit he would have beat me by a longshot! I could probably never have beat him!" she said angrily.

"He wasn't the best, he was the pettiest. I've heard stories throughout my journey of his achievements, but most of those were because of his charizard."

"It was his love for pokemon that made him win! I bet you didn't know, but when his charmelon evolved, charizard wouldn't even listen to him!" Misty replied angrily. "His charizard never battled for him, but it got really hurt in a battle and he spent all day and night healing it! That's what made them respect each other!"

"Sad, just sad. The charizard probably felt pathetic over itself. It knew your friend knew of its power, so it figured he would never release it. The charizard thought about its loss, it felt pathetic, it changes its attitude towards its trainer. That's what made it become stronger, your friend's determination was disappointing the charizard and holding it back from its potential." Ash explained, clenching his fist in his pocket.

"That's nowhere near true! Love matters over anything!" Max added.

"Don't get in this, kid. Even if you were to all throw your logic at me, I would overcome you altogether."

"I will if I want! I was close to our friend, and he taught me about pokemon before I started my journey! He taught me that love overcomes strength, strategy, anything!" Max argued.

"Love is only a small role in the commitment of strength." Ash snapped. "Love is a luxury not needed for strength, but only adds the smallest bit of extra chance for winning."

"No it's not! It's the most important! And over my journey of three years, I've learned that it's the most important part of becoming stronger! Committing to being stronger with your pokemon gets them determined and working harder than before!" Max argued, his fists hurting from the tightness.

"That's something your friend would say, but look where that got him. Top 16, top 8, top 8, top 4, and then _finally_ a win. After four years, he won a single competition." Ash said, feeling sparks begin in his back again.

"That may be true, but he never gave up! Over those years, he always thought he would come better and kept working harder! he never gave up, no matter how hard it looked!" Max shouted, a few people in the center looking at them.

"He won the Orange League and Kanto Battle Frontier!" Misty added.

"Sad. If he had focused more on training, and less on the love, he could have done better. Paul picked a terrible rival." Ash spoke, turning.

"Don't you say that!" every pair of eyes in the room, except one, were on the angry brunette. "He was way stronger than Paul! Paul was a jerk to his pokemon, and our friend loved them like family! I'm starting to think you're related to Paul, judging by your ass-of-an-attitude!" May snapped.

"May, calm down." Dawn whispered, pulling her arm. Ash smirked.

"Yes, listen to your friend. She must be the smartest one."

"All right, that's it!" Brock jumped in. "What right to you have to judge us! Our friend!"

"I have every right as a free person. Check the law, there's nothing against judging honestly and configuratively." Ash replied.

"Come on, guys. This guy's got 'Paul' written all over him, we don't need to talk to him anymore." Misty said.

"Yeah." Iris replied.

"This man does exude a rather strange and awful flavour, and I don't say that often." Cilan said, turning with the other two girls. The three walked towards the flight of stairs, but the others remained.

"You know, Shadow, I thought you were a nice guy when I heard you gave your room to us." Brock said. "...but apparently, I was wrong."

"I have to agree. Your three friends had the right idea to walk away, though. I admire the ones with the smarter decisions."

"They just didn't want to be near you anymore!" May replied. "I can't be here either, I'm leaving. And by the way, our friend was way better than you and Paul. Ash could kick your ass anyday." Brock and Dawn gasped quietly at May saying his name.

"...Ash...sad child. All that determination, but he really didn't make his mark in trainer history." he remarked. "And if you're so confident he could beat me, why don't you come to my match tomorrow?"

"Why would we do that?" Max asked angrily, trying to hold it within him.

"To see how badly you're going to get beaten in this tournament, if fate plays that way." Ash replied.

"I will not lose to you! I'll beat you, and you'll go crying to your mom!" Max smirked.

"You got it reversed, kid. Go running home to your gym leader father, telling him how your determination was your own demise." Ash said.

"...What..." was all Max said back.

"You think I don't recognize a gym leader's relative? I could feel the power from you, but I guess it's just in the past generations."

"Say that again!" May said angrily, cracking her knuckles.

"May, stop! We won't solve anything by fighting!" Brock said, trying to hold the girl back.

"He's talking about Ash like it's a game, Brock! Now let me _go_!" May pulled her arms from his grip, throwing a fist towards Ash's face. Everyone gasped, watching the next move. In a split second, everyone was looking at May, her fist against an open palm. Ash stood there calmly, holding it in front of himself and holding May's fist back.

"I wouldn't do that again, if I were you." Ash said calmly, smirking. May stared into his eyes, determined to beat him in spirit. Suddenly, she bared her teeth in the corner of her mouth as she groaned, pulling back her hand and rubbing it. "That's what I thought. Tomorrow, 9:25 AM, watch the champion of this tournament scare half the competition here." Ash said, turning towards the door and stepping towards it. The three friends stood there, shocked at his action. They heard a nervous chuckle, looking over at Hilbert rubbing the back of his head.

"...Well...I guess in a way, you got off easy. Trust me, that is _not_ his full anger or knowledge." Hilbert said, stepping towards the doorway and disappearing through the sliding doors.

"...Shadow..." Max muttered, clenching his fists.

"...Max..." he looked at May. "...beat him...beat him good..."

"I will, May. I'm never losing to someone like him." Max said, staring at the doorway. Near them, Hilda stood, surprised.

"...Man, that guy just turns a simple idea into a war..." she muttered, stepping towards the doorway. Outside, Ash walked through the trees, emerging in the campground. He heard a zipper, then noticed the yellow mouse appear on his shoulder.

"Hey, Pi. Did all that drama upset you? I felt you sparking." Ash told the mouse. Pikachu held its paw out and tilted it back and forth in a 'meh' kind of way. "Well, sorry nonetheless. It's just..." he trailed off, sighing. "...they're so different, Pi. Since I left, I guess they became more independant, rarely trusting anyone outside their group."

"I said make friends, not eternal enemies." a feminine voice rang out.

"It wasn't my decision, they continued to fight back. You know I never back down." Ash replied, turning toward Hilda.

"That's no excuse, Ash." Hilda said, crossing her arms.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready for your battle?" Ash asked, taking his vest off and throwing it beside the tent.

"Should, but don't need to. It's a half-hour away, and I'm ready." she replied.

"Remember, don't let determination be your demise." Ash said, putting his backpack on the ground.

"I won't. You've told me that enough to have memorized it." she said, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever. I'm gonna train Infernape, so you might not want to hang around here." Ash said, pulling a pokeball out.

"Okay, fine. I guess I'll go find Hilbert, see where he went..."

"Yeah, go find your boyfriend."

"Shut up, quit lying."

"Yeah, yeah. Time for training, Infernape." he said, tossing the pokeball. The bright blue light emerged and formed the human-sized fire monkey. "All right, Infernape, hand-to-hand. Remember, no fire attacks." Ash said, getting in a fighting stance.

"Can you believe him, though!" Max asked angrily, stomping down the path.

"Come on, Max, just forget it. We're checking out the battlefields, not wanting to create one if we find him." Brock said.

"I know, but still!" Max replied.

"...May...you didn't show any resistance to mentioning his name." Brock said, looking at the brunette.

"What about it? He was making fun of him."

"It's just...I've never seen that before. You've never mentioned his name without shedding a tear." Brock said.

"So what? I miss my friend, I don't need to say it for us to know it!" May snapped.

"Okay, okay." Brock replied, dismissing it. The three continued, then suddenly May stopped. "What?"

"...I'll meet you back at the hotel." she said.

"Why? Don't you want to see the fields?" Max asked.

"Not really, I'm just feeling a little tired from today. I need to get my mind off the drama." she said, giving a wave as she turned around.

"Okay...see you..." Brock said, unsure as he continued with Max. May glanced back and saw them turn a corner, then sighed as she clenched a fist and turned toward the trees.

"That guy's gonna get a piece of my mind..." May muttered angrily as she passed through the trees, then heard something.

"That's it, Infernape! Corner me!"

"That couldn't have been..." May whispered, parting a bush as she crouched behind. She looked through, seeing a man in a white t-shirt and black cargo pants, bare-foot facing a fire monkey. "It was...but, what's he doing...? He must be doing a favour and trying to kill himself." May muttered, watching the two.

"Come on, Infernape, remember what I've taught you. Fists out, feet back, head up." he said.

"What does he mean...?" May whispered, confused. Suddenly, she noticed infernape lunge at him. "This'll be good..." May smiled, waiting for the monkey to strike him with pain. But, to her surprise, nothing like that happened. The monkey lunged for the man's chest, but he sidestepped and grabbed the monkey's fist. Infernape noticed this and brought its tail around, wrapping it around his arm holding its fist. She saw him smirk, grabbing Infernape's other foot.

"Remember, Infernape, this is a terrible position to be in." she heard him say, pulling his foot around so the monkey did a front-flip in the air. Unfortunately, he had a firm grip on the monkey's fist, so as it flipped Ash's grip on the monkey didn't loosen, causing a severe drag around its wrist. Ash let go and took a few steps away as the monkey went to one knee, holding its fist. "Infernape, I trained you better than this. I taught you to find the opponent's weakness in a matter of seconds, and this is how the training was put to use? Getting it used on yourself?" he asked.

"...Seconds...this guy's intense in training..." May muttered, continuing to watch.

"Now, try a defensive approach. Give some offense, but only use it for looks and when the opponent makes a move, pull back and defend until an opening." the monkey nodded, standing straight. It lunged for him again, then Ash extended his one arm forward and brought the other back, palm facing forward. The two stared each other down as Infernape got closer, then Ash suddenly pulled his right foot off the ground. Infernape noticed this, stopping and planting its feet firmly in the ground. Ash swung his foot back around, spinning his body. Infernape crossed its arms, holding them out and blocking the incoming foot. Infernape pushed forward, forcing the foot away then was nearly surprised by an incoming fist from the left. Infernape held its open palm, letting it collide.

"That's what he did with me...!" May gasped quietly. Infernape held his fist tight, pulling it back. Ash felt his body being pulled forward, but spun to the right and tried a foot to the chest, but felt Infernape grab his leg. The monkey spun his body outward, watching his body go in the air. As his body fell, it stopped spinning and his feet landed firmly on the ground. Ash made another attempt for Infernape's chest, but was blocked. Ash threw a barrage of fists at its chest, the monkey wondering what he was up to as he blocked the fists. Ash didn't let up, throwing the fists faster and faster. infernape felt a sweatdrop down its forehead, so it jumped into a backflip to dodge. It landed, but was surprised to see Ash right in front of it. "Never let your guard down." he said, throwing another fist. Infernape leaned right, dodging the fist and throwing one for his stomach, but it was blocked by his free hand. Infernape took this opportunity to let go of his fist, noticing its force move it past him. Infernape smirked, throwing a barrage of fists at its trainer. Ash smirked as he noticed Infernape's eyes, passion for the fight. "That's the spirit, Infernape! Force me to my knees, bring me down!" Ash said cheerfully, surprising May.

"He sounds so...happy..." May whispered, amazed. "...Is...is this what entertains him...? ...He finds...this is his amusement..." she muttered. Ash continually leaned left and right to dodge, occasionally letting a fist crack against his palm. Ash did a backflip, but was surprised and proud to feel a pair of hands on his legs in the air. He grunted as he felt himself pulled back, his body thrown pulled through the air toward the ground, a painful impact waiting. Ash, however behind quick on his feet, held his arms out, landing hard against the ground on his palms. He felt Infernape twist his legs, he turned his arms around and held himself up, grunting quietly at the unpurposeful chicken-wing move. He felt his legs surprisingly hit the ground, but then saw a monkey a few feet in the air with a white-glowing fist coming down at him.  
>He quickly rolled, hearing the crash as the fist collided with the earth. He saw the monkey pull its fist out of the ground, extending its fingers. Ash smirked, putting his hands on the ground and quickly spinning around, taking the monkey's legs out. Infernape felt himself hit the ground, seeing its trainer spin through the air overtop of it. He landed beside Infernape's side, drawing his leg back, spinning his body so his foot came crashing down toward the monkey. Infernape desperately grabbed his foot, pushing it across and sending Ash over him and heading toward the ground head-first. However, he turned the fall into a barrelroll and quickly spun around, seeing a fist coming toward him. He leaned back-left, extending his leg behind the monkey and taking out one leg, setting it off-balance. Ash grabbed its fist, pulling it back as he spun, throwing Infernape into the bushes, luckily nowhere near May.<br>Ash saw the bushes rustle, then stop. He knew the smartness of his pokemon, so he took a few steps back, looking all around. He stopped, closing his eyes. May watched patiently, awaiting a result. Suddenly, Infernape sprung from the trees on Ash's left, but he opened his eyes and dropped to the ground. As it flew overtop of him, he grabbed its leg and arm and spun them, spinning its whole body in the air. He watched the monkey crash into the ground, struggling to get up. "Come on, Infernape, I trained you better than this." Ash said, panting lightly. Infernape looked back up at him, smirking as it grunted, getting to its feet. "That's more like it, now try power-whips."

"Power-whips?" May whispered, confused. She watched Ash run to Infernape, throwing fists but being blocked. Suddenly, Infernape grabbed both his arms and brought them back around behind his back, holding them firmly. Ash grunted, but smirked as he pushed off the ground. His body spun up and over Infernape's head, landing behind him with his arms extended in Infernape's grip. May heard an unatural cracking sound as he did so, but he didn't seem to be fazed at all. Ash grabbed Infernape's fists and held them behind the monkey, taking out its legs so it was helpless on its knees. She noticed Infernape smile, the saw its tail suddenly grab 'Shadow's' leg and take it out. He landed on the ground with a thud, then Infernape grabbed his body and threw him toward the bush. Infernape eyed it carefully, then Ash sprang out from some bushes to the left of it. Infernape, however being the agile and alert fighter, forced a fist into its trainer's stomach, surprising him.

"What the...!" he grunted, feeling the fist push him back in the air. He felt his back forcefully hit a tree, seeing Infernape's other fist glowing white. he smirked, then Infernape sent its fist toward his face. May watched, more amazed than ever as he didn't even flinch, but the fist stopped inches from his nose. The two smiled. "I guess that's stalemate, huh?" he asked, the monkey nodded, letting him go and cutting the power from its fist. Ash stood on his feet, spinning his arms around in circular motions. "Man, Infernape, you really impressed me today. You had nice moves, the knotted hands, the mid-air stomachache, and using your tail to defeat me." Ash smiled warmly, spinning his upper body, earning a few cracks in doing so. "Oh, I think you might have really hit a spot too hard this time, though..." he said, groaning. The two looked at each other, then started laughing.

"They're laughing? He just said he's hurt, and they're _laughing_? What kind of sick people are these?" May asked hysterically in the bush, shaking her head.

"Infernape, I just have to ask...where did that energy come from?" she heard 'Shadow' ask. Infernape frowned, looking at its fists. "...Wait... you heard me talking about your last trainer, didn't you?" he asked.

"His last trainer...?" May whispered in confusion, waiting for an answer. She noticed the monkey nod.

"...That's great." she looked at him like he was insane. "That's a great tecnique, Infernape. Use a past memory to boost your spirit, that's good." he said, patting the monkey's shoulder. She heard the monkey speak in pokemon tongue, hoping he would repeat in english. "...I could, Infernape...but if I do, that kind of power...that would be destructive..." she heard him answer, the monkey nodded and shrugged its shoulders.

"What did infernape say, though...?" she wondered, then felt her side vibrate. She quickly pulled her pokegear out and clicked a button, turning it off. She looked and hoped they didn't hear, but they didn't seem to have heard it.

"Come on, Infernape, let's take a rest." he said, holding a pokeball out. Infernape nodded, letting the red beam take its body inside the sphere. Ash put the ball in his backpack, zipping it up. May felt herself yawn, checking her pokegear.

_Where are you? We're back at the hotel, the fields were too crowded. Hurry up, we don't want to lose you before I win this tournament!_

_Max_

May sighed, checking the clock on the screen. "Holy crap, 8! I was here almost an hour!" she whispered in surprise, quietly sneaking out of the bushes and back toward the hotel. Meanwhile, with Ash...

"_Pikapi, pikachu pika pi?"_ the yellow mouse crawled out of the tent, asking its trainer in its tongue.

"Of course I knew she was there, Pi. How could I not? Especially with the buzzing sound, probably a pokegear or something." he replied, taking his white tee off.

"_Pikachu pika, chupi pika."_ it said, shaking its head.

"I wasn't showing off, I was merely showing her what she does not want to have as an enemy. Showing my dangerous side will hopefully keep them afraid and away from me for a while." he replied, lying down on the grass and putting his arms behind his head.

"_Pikachu pi, pika?_" Pikachu asked again.

"...I don't know, Pi...they sure do miss me, but...I don't think I can..." Ash replied, giving a yawn. "Well, good night, buddy. We gotta be up early tomorrow for the battle." Ash said, giving another yawn.

"_Pikachu, pikapi?_"

"Of course I have my team picked, what kind of trainer do you think I am?" he asked, watching the mouse shake its head playfully and laugh quietly. "You're no help." he sighed. Pikachu crawled beside him and jumped on his stomach. "Hey, okay, you're a big help. Just don't jump." Ash said, watching Pikachu calmly stop and lie on his stomach. He rolled his eyes, then closed them to fall asleep, wondering what awaited him tomorrow.

**END**

**Holy crap, that was long! I'm sorry for those who don't like long chapters, but the Infernape/Ash thing got a little lengthy. And those who skipped to the bottom instead of reading...nice. You just missed the drama, ooooh, you better go back and read it! I'm just kidding, I do this stuff because I'm bored anyway.**

**Will Shadow and co. make up?  
>How will Ash's battle go?<br>How did Hilda's battle go?  
>What is Hilbert up to (if anything)?<br>What will Zo do with Ash's old friends? (I **_**actually**_** plan on something happening, sorry for all the other times I said this and nothing happened)**

**R&R. Vote on shippings. Do whatever the heck you want, it's a free world. Now come on, give a guy a comment! :P**


	11. Chapter 11

**The chapter you've been waiting for; Ash's battle. Probably won't be as good as you thought, don't be hatin'! I don't own pokemon, its characters, anything!**

5:30. A time in the morning where everyone is asleep. Er, _mostly_. "Today's the day, Pi." Ash said to the mouse, moving his arms in circular motions. Pikachu was on the ground beside, copying his every move. "Our first battle in years, except Hilbert or Hilda." Ash said, leaning backwards with the small mouse. Speaking of Hilda…

"Hey! Quiet down, will ya!" an annoy feminine voice rang from the tent beside them. Ash and Pikachu rolled their eyes. "Seriously, your battle's not for another four hours! Why must you insist on waking me!" she shouted.

"It's a momentous day, Hilda. Ash Ketchum returns to civilization, now his first battle in years is in such a short time." Ash spoke as if he were a narrator for a commentary.

"Doesn't mean he has to wake up the locals!" Ash sighed.

"Whatever, you're just cranky because you almost lost your battle yesterday." Ash replied.

"Quiet! The reason for this tournament is finding the strongest trainer! They don't accept first-timers!" she shouted at him.

"Doesn't mean you're supposed to lose in the first round." Ash said calmly. He noticed her crawl out of the tent in the corner of his eye.

"That makes no sense whatsoever." she said, stretching her arms out.

"Yeah, yeah, just get dressed." Ash said, looking at the girl wearing only a white t-shirt and jean shorts.

"Pervert." he heard her mutter as she crawled back in the tent.

"Unlike your boyfriend?" Ash asked, looking at the second tent beside hers. No reply. "Pi, I wish I were you for a few days." Ash sighed, looking down at the mouse.

"_Pikapi, pikachu pi chupi pika."_

"No, trust me, human life is worse." Ash sighed again, giving a yawn. "…Huh…maybe she was right about being early…"

_**Meanwhile, in hotel room 208…**_

"Come on, Max! Shut up!" a brunette groaned, pulling the covers over her head.

"Not so easy, May! My first battle is today, and I'm pumped!" Max said confidently, pumping a fist.

"It's not until two in the freakin' afternoon!" she hissed through the blankets. Occupying two other beds were a blunette and redhead, also groaning as they were hiding under the bedsheets.

"Max, it might be a good idea to calm down for a bit." a spiky-haired man said, sitting up from the floor behind a bed.

"Ah!" the blunette suddenly shrieked, looking over the edge of her bed. "Oh, sorry Brock. Forgot you were down there." she apologized, looking at the man.

"Come on, everyone! Get up! We're heading out today!" another purple-haired female called out, stretching as she stood from the redhead's bed.

"Remind me why she got stuck sleeping in the same bed as me." the redhead yawned.

"Paper covers rock." the blunette replied lazily.

"Never mind that! Let's get dressed and head out!" the girl cheered, taking a step toward the bathroom. However…

"Ow! Iris!"

"Whoops. Forgot about you, Cilan."

"Fine, let's go guys. It'll shut them up." the brunette yawned, lazily standing from her bed and stretching.

"Oh shut up, May. You just want to see that Shadow guy again." the blunette yawned.

"No I don't!" May shouted back, her face pink.

"Hey! Trying to sleep!" the redhead shouted angrily.

"Not gonna happen, Mist'. We're the worst group for sleeping." the spiky-haired man spoke.

"All three of you want to see him, we get it. Just get up." Max said, crossing his arms. Suddenly, he felt a heavy force push him to the ground."I do not want to see him!" the blunette shouted furiously, grabbing his arm and putting him in the chicken-wing.

"Dawn! Wait for me!" May said, walking across the room and joining her. Cilan, Brock, Misty (who regrettably decided to get up), and Iris who just emerged from the bathroom stared in confusion at the scene.

"Well, I guess we shouldn't prologue this chapter anymore."

"Brock, what do you mean by that?"

"I'm not sure, that just came to mind…"

_**9:20, with Ash, Hilda and Hilbert…**_

"You guys really should quiet down in the morning." Hilbert yawned, putting his hands behind his head as they walked.

"Whatever." Ash replied.

"He started it." Hilda muttered, glaring at Ash. The three looked at the large stadium before them.

"Remember, I'm Shadow now." Ash reminded, walking toward the entrance.

"Wait! Do you know where you're going?" Hilda asked, trying to catch up with him.

"Man, I should have went back to sleep…" Hilbert muttered, rubbing his head as he caught up to them.

"If I remember correctly, I'm battling in the Shauntal arena." Ash said, looking back at them. He saw confusion written all over their faces. "Oh come on, you're supposed to know about your own home region. Each of the four arenas are named after the elite four member who uses it." Ash sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Know-it-all."

"I'd say."

"Quit flirting."

"SHUT UP!"

"Don't make me call Pi."

"Fine, fine!"

"What I thought." Ash smirked, continuing toward the furthest left entrance. The three looked at the slightly smaller entrance, but it was still big. "Man, I have to wonder what pokemon came through these gates when they built this…" Ash said. Hilda and Hilbert shook their heads as they followed him through the gate.

_**Back with Max and co…**_

"I hate you." May muttered, glaring at the boy. He chuckled nervously.

"Come on, let's just see what's going on around here." Brock said as they walked toward the front desk. His eyes fell on the young pink-haired woman, but unfortunately his friends knew him too well. He was yanked to the floor in mid-air.

"I'm checking the battle record." May said, walking away from the slightly embarrassing group. She sighed as she looked at the many listed names, looking for one in particular. "_He's here somewhere…just gotta…"_ her thoughts were interrupted as eight names disappeared from the lists. Four boxes appeared at the top of the electronic screen, two names in each. That's what she was looking for.

_Shadow vs. Derek_

"Guys!" May called to them, who hurried over. She pointed at the screen, everyone looked.

"He's battling right now?" Iris asked.

"Come to think of it, didn't he tell us that yesterday?" Brock asked.

"Who cares? I want to see this guy!" Max said enthusiastically.

"He's in the Shauntal arena! Come on!" Dawn said excitedly, dashing out of the lobby.

"And she said I wanted to see him." May muttered, shaking her head. She looked around, noticing everyone disappeared. She sighed again, hurrying toward the entrance.

_**Shauntal arena…**_

"This match will now begin!" the ref called out. A small crowd was gathering at the side of the field behind a glass wall, installed to deflect any attack from harm toward spectators. "Now, for our competitors! First up, we have Derek from Newbark Town, Johto!" he extended his left arm toward the boy, around 15 with an orange t-shirt and blue cargo pants. He waved to the crowd. "And on the right, we have Shadow!" he extended his right arm. Ash stood there, his head low with his eyes closed and an emotionless face.

"Hey!" Ash glanced up. "Don't go easy! I want your full battling skills!" the boy called out.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Ash called back, smirking. On the side, people were muttering about 'Shadow' and 'cocky'.

"We made it!" Max panted, looking ahead.

"Thank Arceus…" Brock muttered, gasping for air. His gaze was attracted toward a man and woman a few years younger than him, at the front of the crowd. "Hilbert?" he called out, the man looked back.

"Hey, it's you guys." he said back, giving a wave. They pushed through, standing by him. "Everyone, this is Hilda. Friend." Hilbert motioned to the girl beside him.

"Hello. I'm surprised to see you here." she said.

"Why?" Max asked.

"We both saw your scene with Shadow at the centre." Hilbert said.

"Oh." was all Max said back.

"We're here because there's nothing else to do." Brock said.

"There's a lake not too far from here. Just down Victory Road." Hilbert pointed out.

"Trainers, send out your pokemon!" everyone looked at the field. On the left, they saw a grey elephant with tusks and a black tire-like shell down its back."_Don!_" it called out, lifting its trunk.

"That looks tough." Brock commented.

"Not a match for Shadow, though." they looked at Hilbert. "Trust me, I've known Shadow for a while and he can take anything thrown at him." they looked back.

"Infernape, showtime." the pokeball flew into the air, bursting open and revealing a human-sized monkey with a large flame on its head. The pokemon stood tall, crossing its arms. It smirked at the elephant across from it.

"Begin!"

"Donphan, let's start with Rollout!" Derek called out. It curled tightly and rolled toward the monkey.

"Sidestep." just as the attack was about to hit, the monkey stepped to the side.

"Donphan! Stop and use Headbutt!" Derek commanded. The small elephant uncurled and dug its feet into the ground, stopping as it turned around and charged for the monkey, who stood unfazed with its head down and eyes closed.

"Intercept and finish it." the monkey looked up, smirking as it held a fist out. The elephant crashed against the fist, its eyes glaring determined. Suddenly, it fell to the ground, its eyes replaced by swirls.

"Donphan is unable to battle! Infernape wins!" the ref called out, some crowd members gasped. Ash glanced to the side, noticing everyone with a surprised expression. But a small group at the front caught his attention most.

"How did that work? He didn't even use an attack!" Max said, staring at the monkey. Derek returned the knocked-out donphan.

"Azumarill, let's go!" the pokeball opened, revealing a small blue figure. The ref raised his flags. "Azumarill, Water Gun!" the pokemon's mouth opened, releasing a spray of water.

"You call that an attack?" Ash called out, smirking. The water came in contact with the monkey's chest.

"Yes!" Derek pumped a fist, but was surprised to see the monkey unfazed. "What! Try an Aqua Tail!" the water stopped, revealing Infernape with a few waterdrops on its body. It jumped in the air, swinging its tail down while releasing a vortex of water from it.

"Infernape, repelling Mach Punch." the monkey's fists glowed white, then it crossed its arms and quickly swiped them out. A gust of air was created from the force, blowing the small figure and the water away. "Finish this." Infernape watched the blue figure quickly get up, standing in a battle stance. Suddenly, Infernape almost disappeared as it reappeared in front of azumarill, sending a fist into its chest and sending it soaring at the wall.

"Azumarill!" Derek looked back, seeing the knocked out water-type sliding to the floor.

"Azumarill is unable to battle! Infernape wins!" the ref announced. The crowd began muttering again.

"Another knockout! How does that infernape do it!" Max said, staring amazed at the monkey who had its arms crossed by its trainer again. Everyone looked at Derek, who was gritting his teeth.

"My last chance…Ampharos, you're up!" the yellow pokemon emerged from the blue light, getting in a battle stance. "You have the first move this time!" he called out.

"Won't need it, but if you insist. Infernape, Dig." the monkey disappeared into the ground.

"Ampharos, Thunderbolt down the hole!" Derek called. The pokemon dashed across the field, sending a yellow bolt down the hole. Everyone waited patiently for a sign.

"Ref, I think it was knocked out underground! Nothing has taken my thunderbolt and stayed standing!" Derek called out.

"Not even close." everyone looked at Ash, smirking. "Infernape, hide-and-seek's over." Ash called. Ampharos sensing something, ran back to its trainer. A figure emerged from the hole, jumping back by Ash. Everyone gasped at the monkey, sparks were visible coursing through every part of its body, but it didn't seem to know they were there.

"That…that's not possible!" Derek gasped, stepping back.

"Reality hurts. Infernape, Flamethrower." Ash extended his arm forward. The monkey drew in its breath, then released a large stream of flames toward the electric-type.

"Ampharos, Light Screen!" the pokemon extended its arms, creating a glowing yellow wall. The flames came in contact, but everyone was surprised to see the wall beginning to bend toward Ampharos. "Ampharos, get out of there!" Derek called, but was too late. The wall shattered, the flames consuming the pokemon. They disappeared, revealing the charred pokemon standing with swirly eyes.

"Ampharos is unable to battle! This battle goes to Shadow and Infernape!" the ref announced, raising his right flag. A few claps were heard from the crowd, but most were talking about the amazing infernape. Derek recalled his pokemon, staring at it.

"Hey." he looked up to see Ash a few feet from him, Infernape beside him. "Good battle." Ash extended his hand, giving a half-smile. Derek eyed it, then shook his hand.

"You too. Best battle I ever lost." he chuckled.

"Your ampharos was impressive, I don't remember the last time someone actually caused damage on him." Ash said, looking at the monkey.

"But I didn't damage it. It's amazing." Derek said, seeing the monkey rub the back of its head.

"I know my pokemon as if they were myself, and I noticed that thunderbolt had Infernape paralyzed." the money nodded in agreement. Derek smiled. As everyone left the arena, Ash walked behind everyone slowly after being congratulated by the ref.

"Shadow!" Ash stopped, looking ahead to see a small group toward the left of the entrance. "Nice battle!" Hilbert called out, waving him over.

"Thanks." Ash said as he stopped by them.

"You didn't have to go overboard with the flamethrower, though." Hilda said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe so." Ash replied, then he looked at the other seven figures. "So you came after all."

"There was nothing else to do." Brock replied quickly.

"I have to admit, you have a rather unique battling style. The fragrance was like a mystery stew." Cilan said.

"True words spoken from a connoisseur." Ash said.

"Good battle, Shadow!" he looked at the smiling blunette, noticing the redhead and brunette smiling slyly at her. He was surprised and not, considering the events from yesterday, but her cheerfulness covered that up.

"That was amazing!" he looked at Max. "That was the quickest battle I've ever seen! You have to teach me how you trained your infernape!" he said excitedly, as if he forgot the whole scene at the pokemon centre.

"If I have the time, I might." he replied.

"I agree with Max! That was awesome!" he looked at Iris, who was smiling broadly. "I'd love to battle you in this tournament!"

"Let's hope fate plays that way." Ash replied, giving a half-smile. He couldn't help but wonder if he had the wrong first-thought of his friends' changes over the years. He looked at May, who was now staring at him.

"Something on your mind?"

"…You did good." she said quietly, looking away.

"Thanks." he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. May was still the hardhead, but she had her shy side as well.

"This doesn't mean we're on perfect terms, just so you know." May quickly added, looking back at him.

"I wouldn't think so." Ash replied, smirking.

"Jeez Shadow, this is most social talking I've seen you do in three years." Hilbert said, putting his arms behind his head.

"Remember how my charizard found you in less than five minutes?" he asked threateningly, Hilbert's expression turned to horror.

"You wouldn't."

"He's been pretty bored lately…" Ash smirked. Hilbert sighed, turning to the others.

"So what are you guys up to today?" he asked.

"Max and Iris have to battle at two and three, so we'll probably just hang around somewhere." Brock replied.

"I might train in Victory Road." Iris said.

"I'm going shopping!" Dawn said excitedly. Misty nodded.

"Shadow?" Hilbert looked at him.

"Might train, might relax, who knows." Ash replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, I gotta go for supplies, so I may as well tag along with these two." Brock gestured to Dawn and Misty.

"Well let's go then! Bye Shadow!" Dawn said cheerfully, dragging the two away.

"Okay, then…" Ash said, unsure what just happened. "Well, I think I'm going to feed my pokemon. See you all later." Ash said, giving a wave as he walked toward the trees.

"So Hilbert, Hilda, how did you two meet Shadow?" Max asked. Hilda and Hilbert glanced at each other.

"Uh…hehe, kind of a weird story…" Hilbert chuckled.

"Not sure if you would be interested by it." Hilda added, rubbing her arm and looking away.

"We're not doing anything, we got plenty of time." Iris replied, smiling.

"…Well…all right."

"…I guess it wouldn't hurt…"

"Okay, Pi." Ash said, hearing the familiar zipping noise and feeling weight on his shoulder. "Man, I am cutting it too close." Ash sighed, dropping his backpack beside the tent. A blue beam of light from the backpack surprised the two, but sighed as they saw the familiar girl.

"Ash, when were you planning on letting me out?" she asked. crossing her arms.

"Not until I was sure you wouldn't be a nuisance." Ash replied, stretching his arms.

"Oh whatever, you were planning on not letting me out." she said, noticing Ash shrug silently. "Fine, I'll go out myself." she said, turning toward the trees.

"Zo, just don't get in trouble." Ash said.

"Didn't know you cared." she said playfully, looking back and winking.

"I just don't want to have to deal with it."

"Ugh." she sighed, rolling her eyes as she stepped through the trees.

"Man, that is one difficult pokemon." Ash sighed, looking down at Pikachu who had lied inside the tent. "You staying here?" it looked up and nodded. "All right, I'll be back in a while." Ash said, walking through the trees.

"Who does that guy think he is? Just leaving a pokemon like that…I ought Shadow Ball him to the cleffa…" Zo muttered, looking around. Suddenly, she saw someone familiar. "Hey! Hilbert! Hilda!" two figures looked back, surprised.

"Zo?" Hilda asked as she watched the girl run toward them.

"Hey, you two! It's been a while!" she panted, smiling. She then noticed the other four behind them. "Oh, hello. I'm Zo."

"I'm Max. This is May, Iris and Cilan." Max said politely. "Another friend?"

"Yeah, she's a close friend of Shadow's." Hilbert said, nudging her arm.

"Shadow…? Oh, yeah." she said after noticing the look in Hilda's eyes.

"Closer than Hilbert or Hilda? Wow, you must have known him since you were kids." Iris said.

"Well…" Zo rubbed her arm.

"Something like that." Hilbert responded.

"Well, can we get back to the story?" Max asked.

"Story?" Zo asked.

"How we met Shadow. And you." Hilbert said, feeling uncomfortable.

"Oh…you want to say that?" Zo asked.

"Is it really that bad of a story?" Cilan asked.

"Well, you know how Shadow is. Not every meeting of his is pleasant…"

**END**

**Zo finally meets them…well, most of them.**

**What is Ash and Hilbert's/Hilda's past?  
><strong>**Where did Ash go?  
><strong>**Will Brock survive the shopping spree without injuries?**

**R&R for your opinion! Not too bad, though!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Here it is, Ash and Hilbert/Hilda's past. They seem like friends now, but were they this friendly at first? I'm a terrible narrator.**

_Somewhere in the Desert Resort of Unova, a group of strange people were moving multiple cages from a helicopter to a truck. The group wore a strange outfit resembling a medieval knight, but with a strange blue 'P' on their chests. "Hey, you! The pokemon won't move themselves, get moving!" one shouted at another, pointing toward a moving truck. A few of them mumbled something, lifting the crates of pokemon into the truck._

_"Don't worry, guys. You'll be free in no time." a female whispered to the pokemon before closing the back of the truck. Another hopped in the driver seat, watching the helicopter fly away as he waited for the woman to get in the passenger side. Moments passed silently._

_"Hey! What's taking so long!" the driver shouted out the window, but no reply. He sighed heavily, stepping out of the truck. "Man, you can't depend on these lousy-huh?" he muttered, but stopped upon seeing the unconscious figure on the ground. He stepped closer, but heard a shuffling noise behind him. He turned around sharply, but began to feel drowsy, only seeing the silhouette of a man before falling to the ground._

_"Well, that went rather well." he muttered, smiling. He hit the side of the truck twice, then noticed a figure crawling out from beneath it. As it stood, he now saw a girl standing before him. "Come on, let's get these costumes."_

_"Yeah, the quicker the better. Then we get these pokemon back and put posters." she replied, crouching beside the passed-out woman. After a few minutes, the two now in disguise sat in the front seats with the passed-out figures in the back with the pokemon._

_"Are you sure they won't wake up?" the man asked, looking at the girl beside him._

_"Of course not, Liepard's Hypnosis can work for hours. Now punch it." they both grinned, the man hitting the gas and feeling themselves lurch back. The two drove for a while, until they finally arrived at the edge of Route 4. They saw a checkpoint, where inside another medieval man stood. They stopped._

_"What's your business?" he asked._

_"To serve the seven sages, we pledge." the man driving spoke. He earned a nod, then began driving again._

_"Not bad, Hilbert. You actually remembered." the woman said, smirking._

_"But of course, Hilda, what did you expect?" he replied with a smirk. She rolled her eyes, looking out the window. After a while of driving, they arrived in Castelia. "All right, now we just have to post all these pokemon on a 'found' poster." Hilbert said, hopping out of the truck._

_"Exactly, and we have to do this fast. Someone might notice us and call the cops." Hilda said as they were both at the truck's back._

_"I told you we should have brought an extra set of clothes." Hilbert said, shaking his head as he opened the back._

End Flashback

"That doesn't seem bad, you were saving pokemon." Max said.

"He's not finished, they haven't even mentioned Shadow yet." Cilan told the boy.

"Well, that's sort of a back-story. Hilbert and I were on top of the Team Plasma news, so we tried to get back each group of stolen pokemon we heard about, under disguise, of course." Hilda said, looking at Hilbert.

"Exactly. Now Shadow...he was a wanderer at the time, but we sort of had a rundown..."

Flashback

_"Move quickly! The police might discover us any second!" a grunt shouted, moving his arm through the air. The group was in a forest area north of Opelucid City, moving crates of small pokemon from a helicopter into a truck. Within the crowd, two people in particular were together in with a plan._

_"Anytime now, Hilda." a disguised man whispered, lifting a crated pidove into the truck._

_"I know, I know..." she whispered back, lifting and handing him a crated roggenrola. Turning her back to the trees, she swiftly threw a pokeball without anyone noticing. She saw a figure appear within the trees, quickly hiding in the brush in the treetops._

_"Just tell me when." Hilbert whispered, moving his hand over his belt of pokeballs as he passed her, moving toward the truck. She picked up a crate, looking toward the other Plasma members around. Fifteen total, eleven men and four women. She waited a few seconds, then noticed them come close together. She turned, handing the crate to Hilbert._

_"Now." she whispered, leaning close to him. He nodded, turning and placing the crate in the truck. He dropped a pokeball on the ground, silently kicking it under the truck. He closed the back, nodding to Hilda. She nodded back, looking at the group a few feet away. She placed two fingers in the sides of her mouth, giving a sharp whistle. The others looked at her in confusion, but suddenly multiple purple spheres hit the ground around them._

_"What's going on!" one grunt shouted, looking angrily at Hilbert and Hilda, standing calmly away from them. A large sphere of swirling air energy crashed into the ground, sending dust in the air. The grunts questioned the dust and the surroundings, but saw something through the dust above them. Before they could move, they felt an electric charge through each of their bodies before falling limply to the ground._

_"Well done, Galvantula." Hilbert said, petting the large yellow and blue tarantula._

_"You too, Mandibuzz." Hilda said, petting the vulture's beak. "Come on, we better get out of here." she said, returning the bird to its pokeball._

_"You're right, we should deal with these guys first." Hilbert said, looking at the unconscious Plasma members after returning the spider to its pokeball._

_"What about the helicopter, though?" Hilda asked, pointing to the large copter._

_"...Huh, I hadn't thought of that..." Hilbert said, rubbing the back of his head._

_"I guess we'll just split, one taking the truck while one taking the chopper." Hilda said, shrugging her shoulders._

_"I guess, but the question is...can either of us fly it without spiraling to our death?" Hilbert asked, chuckling. He stopped as a fist collided with his shoulder._

_"Jokes later, business now." Hilda said strictly, walking to the group of members. Hilbert shook his head, watching her tie them up with a long rope. "I could use help." she said, gesturing to the truck. Hilbert helped her move them into the truck's back, closing it again._

_"All right, who's flying and who's driving?" Hilbert asked._

_"You seem better at learning quickly, so you can fly." Hilda said, opening the driver door._

_"All right." Hilbert said, but the two were very surprised to hear a loud explosion behind them. And close, too. "Don't tell me..." the two turned around, but now only saw a flaming half-remains of the chopper. "Well...I guess now I won't need to write out a will yet."_

_"But...who did it?" Hilda asked, looking around. The two stood still, cautiously looking around. Suddenly, Hilbert noticed something._

_"Hilda, look out!" Hilbert tackled her, narrowly moving her from a stream of flames. The two landed hard on the ground beside each other. "What was that?" Hilbert muttered, but noticed a turtle walk out of the bushes a few feet from them._

_"Hilbert...that's a torkoal!" Hilda gasped, pointing at the turtle. It stood in a defensive stance, glaring at them. "Hilbert, it's a Hoenn pokemon! There has to be a trainer around here!" Hilda said. The turtle nodded, not budging. Suddenly, three more figures emerged behind it._

_"A sceptile...infernape...even a floatzel! What is going on?" Hilbert asked, looking at the various pokemon._

_"It's my doing." the voice surprised the two, but the man emerged from behind the pokemon and faced them, stepping in front of the pokemon. A yellow mouse sat on his shoulder. "These are my pokemon, doing my orders."_

_"What do you want?" Hilbert asked defensively._

_"I want to know why that truck holds pokemon against their will." he said, pointing to the truck behind them._

_"Look, we're on your side! We've been going undercover in Team Plasma's operations for a while now! Ever since we heard they were revived after years and continuing liberation, we've been stopping them!" Hilda defended, waving her arms._

_"It's true what she's saying, we're undercover! We're not with them, we just don't want pokemon and trainers separated!" Hilbert added._

_"How do you expect me to believe your words?" the man asked, raising his hand and holding his thumb and index finger together. "Just a snap of my fingers, and my pokemon will attack. Choose your words and actions carefully, I'm giving you a few minutes for defending yourselves before I decide."_

_"Defend? We're not in Team Plasma! We're stopping them, why else would we knock them out and tie them up!" Hilbert asked, walking over and opening the back of the truck._

_"We're telling the truth! Ask the police, they'll say we volunteered and agreed to stopping Plasma actions across Unova!" Hilda added, taking a step back after looking at the sceptile's expression._

_"...You make a good case...but I'm afraid it's not good enough, so I must turn you in." the man said, raising his hand slightly higher._

_"Liepard, help us!"_

_"Braviary, help out!"_

_"Pikachu, Thunderbolt. Sceptile, Leaf Blade." the man said calmly, seeing the pokemon materialize before him. The yellow mouse jumped in the air, releasing a devastating bolt of electricity on the eagle. It fell to the ground, while the large lizard jumped forward, launching its glowing green blades into the liepard's chest, it crashing into a tree._

_"Liepard!"_

_"Braviary!"_

_"Don't waste your time. No matter what you throw at me, you won't stand a chance." the man said threateningly, Sceptile and Pikachu returning to his side. Hilbert and Hilda helpd their pokemon's heads, bearing their teeth in frustration._

End Flashback

Silence.

"Well, what happened?" Max asked frantically, waving his arms in frustration.

"We gave up, letting him take us in." Hilda replied calmly.

"What!" Iris gasped.

"Relax, we told him he could ask the police because we volunteered. We told the truth so when we got to the station, they let us out immediately." Hilbert said.

"Wow, what was the prison like?" Max asked.

"Not great, and you could imagine how Shadow reacted." Hilda said, crossing her arms.

"He's not an emotional guy, nor was he back then. He simply gave us a glare, then walked out." Hilbert said.

"But how did you become friends, then?" May asked.

"And you said you weren't interested in him..." Max muttered, smirking as he glanced at her.

"Well..." they saw May's fist collide with the top of Max's head. "We met up again. Another Plasma report, but either we were slower or he was quicker..."

Flashback

_Undella Bay, the largest body of water in Unova. A sub and speedboat were parked side-by-side, hidden by large rocks. Multiple crates of pokemon were being loaded from the sub to the speedboat. A few smaller speedboats were parked around the two, defending them from incomers. Within the members, Hilda remained in disguise, transferring crates. She continued glancing into the sky, looking as she continued her disguise. Nearby, on the rocks, a large red and white-feathered eagle waited quietly with a man on its back. "Easy, Braviary..." he whispered, watching the boats silently._

_"Anytime, Hilbert...I hope he remembered it's his call..." Hilda muttered, eying the rocks suspiciously. A shrill and loud whistle was heard, everyone confused but Hilda. "Finally." she muttered, leaning back over the boat's railing._

_"Hey, no slacking off." she looked up, seeing a grunt pointing at her._

_"Oh come on, these crates are heavier than they look." Hilda pretended to whine, while grabbing a pokeball with the hand behind her back._

_"Too bad, back to work." he said strictly, turning away. Hilda pressed the button on the pokeball, releasing a blue flash of light forming a pokemon as it fell into the water. "What was that?" the grunt asked, turning back to her._

_"Just some pokemon splashing around." Hilda responded, pointing behind her. The grunt eyed her suspiciously, then turned away. Hilda sighed quietly, looking into the water. "All right, Hilbert..." she muttered, stretching her arms into the air behind her._

_"All right, Braviary." Hilbert said, noticing the girl stretching. The bird nodded, quietly flapping off the rock and into the air._

_"Sir, a braviary!" a grunt said, pointing at the flying bird._

_"It doesn't-huh?" he was about to dismiss it, but could notice the faint figure of a man on its back. "It's a trainer! Let's get out of here!" he shouted. Everyone scattered about, some hopping into the sub and some hiding on the speedboat. One turned the engine, but it wouldn't start._

_"Hey! Who was supposed to fill it with gas before we left!" he shouted angrily, turning the key repeatedly. Suddenly, a scout boat not too far away suddenly shot into the air by a fountain of water. "What the...!" he gasped, watching each smaller boat get shot into the air and crashing down._

_"What is that?" Hilbert asked, watching the boats soar up. "Hilda was only supposed to break the engine off the boat...what's she up to...?" Hilbert wondered, circling over. Braviary launched mutiple spheres of swirling air energy toward the water around the boats for immobilization._

_"What?" Hilda asked, watching the boats soar upward. "Man, and Hilbert's going to think this is me...what is going on...?" Hilda wondered, but everyone was soon answered. A large splash was seen in the water, soon replaced by a large turtle shell and a smaller blue head. "A blastoise...?" Hilda wondered, but more figures surfaced around it._

_"Sir! We have confirmation of a blastoise, feraligatr, and samurott surfacing close to the boats. We believe they're the cause of the smaller boat losses." a grunt said in salute._

_"...Speed off, we have to get out of here! A trainer's seen us, and we can't risk more!" the leader grunt said._

_"But, sir...the engine won't start!" a grunt said, turning the key again. The leader gritted his teeth._

_"Well, then...abandon ship! Every man for himself!" he dashed for the edge of the boat, but a splash was heard and a large red crab landed in front of him. It glared intimidatingly, opening and closing its claws._

_"So many pokemon from different regions...this seems so much like..." Hilda muttered, recalling a memory. As if cued, a blue figure emerged from behind the large rock and slowly swam toward the boat. On its back, a man stood calmly._

_"Hey! This is a restricted area, so get out of here!" a grunt shouted._

_"Restricted by who? Someone important, I would hope. But I'm probably wrong." the man said, calmly stepping onto the boat. All the water-type pokemon swam to the side of the boat, glaring at the Plasma members to intimidate them. "What's it gonna be? Surrender, or face the wrath of my pokemon?" he said, gesturing to the water-types._

_"You!" Hilda suddenly gasped, pointing at him._

_"It's been a while, but I'm honored you remember me." the man said mockingly, feeling the wind pick up. He looked to see the eagle not too high up, letting the man jump off its back and landing safely on the boat._

_"Team Plasma, you're all under arrest as of now." Hilbert said._

_"I see your friend is here as well." the man said, looking at Hilbert._

_"You! So you're behind the water-type pokemon!" Hilbert exclaimed, looking at the group behind him._

_"Now that we're up-to-date on the situation, let's move these criminals to the jailhouse. Agreed?" he asked. Hilbert and Hilda glanced at each other, then nodded._

End Flashback

"So, you got on good terms then." Iris said.

"Yeah, we brought them in. The three of us agreed on teaming up for the Plasma reports, but there weren't many left. After we finished Plasma for good, Shadow decided on leaving Unova. We agreed on staying in touch, and he even visited every now and then." Hilbert said, putting his hands behind his head.

"So, Shadow...he's always been emotional like this?" May asked.

"As long as we've known him, yes. We never really got around to asking him, we just figured it was a childhood trauma thing." Hilda lied.

"So then how did you meet Zo? I don't recall her in the story." Cilan looked at the girl, who tensed up.

"I...uh...I didn't want to help Shadow against Team Plasma, so I decided to stay in the local police station until he got back. Besides, he said I would get in his way." she said, crossing her arms.

"Speaking of which...where did Shadow go?" Iris asked, looking around.

"He said to feed his pokemon, but I'm not sure where...or if he even said where..." Max said, looking as well.

"Don't worry about it, he's probably down on Route 10, by the lake." Hilbert earned a few questioning looks. "When he visited, we caught up by the lake on Route 10. It's a really calming spot, can relieve almost any tension in you by the peaceful scenery." he said, giving a smile.

"Well, why are we here? Let's go!" Max said, starting to walk.

"We have battles, remember?" Iris asked, causing Max to fall over.

"Right..."

"So, when do you battle? I have a short-sided memory." Hilbert said, rubbing his head.

"You sure do." Hilda muttered, glancing at him.

"Max battles at two, and I'm at three." Iris answered.

"Two and three? Shouldn't you get going, then?" Hilda asked, pointing to her watch. The two looked curiously, then shouted.

"Oh, Arceus! I'm gonna be late!"

**END**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here it is, only 9 days later. I have a lot of free time, at least when my sister leaves me alone. Well, enjoy, I guess.**

**I don't own pokemon, characters, whatnot...commence chap.**

The calm wind, the peaceful pokemon, the glistening water. The lake on Route 10 was truly a remarkable sight, and that didn't go unknown by the emotionless Ash himself. "Ah, I wish the entire world was like this spot...but _no_, there has to be criminals doing stupid stuff..." he sighed, stretching his arms behind his head. He let his backpack slide off his back, opening it and seeing his many familiar pokeballs. In a few seconds and a lot of flashes, a large group of various pokemon from across the globe stood in front of him. He took the last pokeball in his hand, eying it suspiciously. "...If only you hadn't left, Zo...now you're gonna yell at me..." he sighed again, putting the pokeball in the backpack with the others.

"_Pikachu, pichu kachu pikapi?"_ the yellow mouse on his shoulder asked in pokemon tongue.

"No, it's my fault, I guess. I could have been better." he shrugged his shoulders, taking his bandana off.

"_PikaPi...pikachu, chupi pika?"_

"No, I would not miss her. She's annoying." Ash replied, running a hand through his hair. He glanced at the mouse, who was shaking his head. "What? I don't." he defended, but the mouse hopped off and joined the other pokemon, who were now resting, sparring, etc. Ash shook his head, sighing again. He looked around, seeing the pokemon eye them suspiciously.  
>"Heh, I guess they're still pretty young..." he muttered, smirking as he watched some herdier peek from the bushes. He walked slowly toward them, holding his hands out. "Hey, no need to be afraid. I'm just a guy, seeking some peace." he told them, the herdier looked at each other then they disappeared into the bushes. Ash frowned, turning back toward the lake. He sat by the edge, grabbing some water and splashing it on his face. "Ah, man..." he sighed in relief, giving a faint smile as he looked at the lake. At the sound of rustling, he turned around to see more pokemon. A bouffalant, throh and two sawk watched him curiously. The fighting-types were in a defensive stance. "Hey, you here to drink?" the bull pokemon nodded, proceeding beside him and drinking from the lake. Ash put his hand on the bull's horn, rubbing it as he smiled faintly. "You're just a big softy, huh? Me too, in a way." he told it, who looked up and smiled. The fighting-types looked at each other, then walked toward him. Ash looked at them, who seemed to want to fight.<p>

"_Throh throh!_" the short red one spoke, pointing toward the group of pokemon away from them. One sawk nodded.

"You want to fight one of my pokemon? Alright. Infernape, Scrafty!" he called, the two quickly appeared beside him. "These two want a fight, but don't get too rough." he told them, then the four went a short ways away. The second sawk looked at him, thrusting his fist out. "You want to fight me?" Ash asked, surprised. It nodded, doing a back-flip and landing a few feet back. "...Alright, let's do this. I could use some fun." he smirked, sliding his vest off. He pulled his shirt over his head, holding it out to drop it, but it landed on something. Bouffalant's horn, who smiled at him. Ash nodded, then slid his shoes and socks off and faced off against the fighting-type. "Alright, ready? You can have the first move." he said, smirking again.

_**Hilbert, Hilda and the others...**_

"Garbodor is unable to battle! Iris and Excadrill are the winners!"

The crowd cheered as the garbage pokemon was returned, then the trainer disappeared from the platform. Iris was hugging Excadrill on the field, then she returned it and retreated from the platform. "Good job, Iris!" May said as the group met up at the entrance.

"Thanks, that Focus Blast almost had us, but Excadrill pulled through as always!" Iris said happily, beaming.

"It was _pretty_ good, but not as good as mine." Max said, smirking as he crossed his arms.

"You almost lost, Max." Zo said, crossing her arms and smirking at the boy.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Come on, guys, we should probably head back to the hotel." Cilan suggested, lifting a finger.

"Yeah, let's - ...Actually, has anyone seen Brock, Misty or Dawn? Haven't they been shopping, like, almost seven hours?" Iris asked. Everyone's eyes widened, minus Hilbert and Hilda.

"Oh, man! You're right!" Max exclaimed, putting his hands to his head.

"Come on, we're gonna miss it!"

"We already have, thanks to you! Notice everyone's _outside_?"

"We missed both their battles? It's your fault!"

"You stopped for an ice cream cone."

"...Oh, right..."

"Oooh...my poor back..."

Everyone looked back, seeing a sad blunette, a redhead shaking her head, and a man behind them with his back arched, carrying an unusual amount of shopping bags. "Oh, never mind." Max said.

"Oh, hey! Sorry we missed your battles, but I'm sure you won!" Dawn exclaimed, clasping her hands together. Iris and Max nodded.

"Dawn insisted on a snack, so we had to stop for a while longer." Misty sighed, crossing her arms.

"Help..." Brock weakly choked, Cilan and Hilbert rushed to his side and took some bags to even it out. "Thanks..." he choked again, feeling dizzy.

"No problem, but I've never seen a shopping case like this." Hilbert said, staring amazed at the bags.

"It's mostly Dawn." Misty told him.

"Hey! You have your fair share, too!" she defended, pointing accusingly at her. Misty huffed upward, blowing a strand of orange hair from her eye. "Hey, where's Shadow? Isn't he still with you?" the blunette asked, looking around.

"If you really must know, he left just after you did." Zo said, crossing her arms and smiling slyly.

"Aww, I wanted to talk to him..." Dawn pouted, lowering her head.

"Don't worry about it." she looked at Hilbert. "Hilda and I can find him easily, since it's not that hard. Just listen for the sounds of battling pokemon." he chuckled, getting a punch in the shoulder.

"He's not _always_ battling, Hilbert." Zo told him.

"Most of the time, he is. This is Shadow, remember?"

"Whatever. Besides, we're almost certain he's at Route 10. If no one has any more battles, we can go get him." Hilda said, glaring at Hilbert.

"What?" he asked innocently, feeling nervous from the look he was given.

"Route 10?" Dawn asked.

"Not explaining."

_**Back with Ash...**_

"...You're good...but not good... enough..." Ash panted, smirking at the sawk. It smirked back, the two were panting, feeling beads of sweat go down their brows. "Your move next."

"_Sawk awk, awk sawk!_"

"Six moves, you say? I can take you down in three." his smirk grew, still panting.

"_Sawk."_

"Alright, if you're sure..." he trailed off, dashing toward the fighting-type. It braced for impact, but was surprised as its opponent dashed past it. It turned around, expecting a surprise attack was even more surprised...to see him gone! "One, sneak past your guard." the voice was behind it, so it turned around again to not see him. Suddenly, it felt a sweep at its feet. "Two, immobilize your opponent." he said, giving the sawk a swift punch to each shoulder. It grunted, getting up weakly. "Three, the one deciding blow." Ash said, grabbing the pokemon's underarms and forcing it back. Sawk grunted again as it felt itself hit a tree, seeing the human's fist inches from the exact middle of its chest.

"_Sawk, awk sawk." _ it smirked.

"No problem, I needed some entertainment anyway." Ash smirked back, taking his fist back and stretching his arms. "I must say, you gave me a run for my money." he chuckled, cracking his knuckles. Sawk copied, crouching by the lake and splashing itself with water. Ash did the same. He was surprised to feel his wet hair fall down, resting against his head and neck. "Wow, Hilbert, this gel's cheap...You're a good pokemon, sawk. I bet lost of trainers try to catch you, but fail miserably." Ash chuckled again, the pokemon laughed and nodded. "The trainer to get you, if any, will be a very lucky one." he said, giving a faint smile and extending his hand. Sawk smiled back, shaking Ash's hand. Ash looked over, seeing his two pokemon shaking the hands of the other fighting-types.

"_Lant!_" Ash felt something nudging his backside, turning to see the bouffalant smiling up at him. He took his shirt, but the sawk quickly grabbed it. "Hey, I need that." he chuckled, holding his hand out. Sawk shook its head, pointing at the bull. It stomped its foot into the dirt, dragging it back. "You want to match with me, now?" Ash asked, the bull nodded.

"_Lant bouffalant, laaant!_" it cried out, stomping harder into the dirt as it grinned at him. Ash smirked back, stepping a few feet back. The two lined up, parallel to the lakeside. Sawk stood in the middle, but not between the two. It looked at the two, then raised its arm.

"_Sawk_!" they dashed. Bouffalant began gaining speed, as was Ash. The man, however, stopped and arched his back, stretching his right leg back. He held his arms out, bracing for impact with the bull. The pokemon crashed violently into him, but he somehow managed to catch the horns and hold it back as his feet slowly slid inches back from the bull's strength. The bull, however, didn't stop there as it threw its head back, inadvertently launching Ash backward.

"Heh...alright, so maybe that wasn't the best idea...best two out of three?" Ash chuckled, rubbing the back of his head as he sat up. The two pokemon laughed and nodded in agreement. "Alright, this time I'm not messing up." Ash said as he faced it again.

"_Sawk_" they charged. The same events took place, gaining speed as they dashed for each other. This time, however, Ash did not stop and grabbed its horns. He lifted them upward, struggling to hold back the strength and weight of the bull. Miraculously, he lifted its head and grabbed the bottom of the bull, somehow forcing it into the air backwards. It crashed into the ground, struggling to its feet from crashing its own weight.

"This round is mine, told you I wouldn't mess up." he chuckled, moving a strand of hair from his eye. The bull nodded, facing against him again.

_**Hilbert, Hilda and co...**_

"Are we almost there?" Zo whined, as if five years old.

"Just about, Shadow should be just up here." Hilbert responded, sighing quietly. He felt a gust of wind rush past him, seeing a blue blur.

"She really can't wait to see him, can she?" Hilda sweat-dropped.

"Like a kid on Christmas." Iris chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. Suddenly, a voice caught everyone's attention.

"Alright, Bouffalant! Round number three, better give it all you got!"

"_Bouff_!"

"Was that...Shadow? Why's he talking to a bouffalant?" May asked.

"He's probably training with wild pokemon." Zo answered.

"He battles his pokemon against wild ones? Huh." Max said calmly.

"We didn't mention pokemon. Bouffalant's a big and strong pokemon, so he's probably fighting it himself." Hilbert said plainly, shaking his head in amusement.

"_Himself_? He could get hurt! We have to save him!" May gasped, dashing in the direction Dawn had gone.

"Wait! ...Man, she's quick." Hilbert said, surprised.

"Yeah, she somehow gets energy boosts when she goes head-over-heels for a guy." Max snickered, adjusting his glasses and causing a glare.

"You're an odd little child, aren't you?" Hilbert muttered, glancing nervously at the boy. He felt a punch on his shoulder, rubbing it as he glared at Hilda, who was smiling innocently.

"Well, I guess we should go get her...but Hilbert, what did you mean when you said he's fighting it himself?" Brock asked.

"Jousting, in my guess. He's the kind of guy to keep his figure, so he fights pokemon himself every once in a while. Him and the bouffalant are probably charging at each other, pushing back." Hilbert explained, crossing his arms as he started toward the direction the girls had disappeared in. The group, after a minute or two, met up with May and Dawn. However, May was crouched over Dawn's unconscious body with her head low, fanning her.

"What the...?" Iris trailed off, crouching and fanning Dawn as well.

"May, what happened to her?" Misty asked, shaking the brunette's shoulder. May looked up, revealing a bright red face. "May...what happened to _you_?"

"Look through the bush and you'll know. Dawn couldn't handle it, I guess..." May said quietly, continuing to fan Dawn. The group looked through the bushes, surprised at the sight. Iris' and Misty's faces immediately lit up. They saw a shirtless 'Shadow' standing in a defensive position, facing against a large bull, with a blue human-like pokemon standing in the middle. Everyone, the men regrettably, were all focused on Shadow's bulky arms and firm six-pack.

"_Sawk_!" the pokemon raised its arm, then the two charged.

"We can't let them do that! Come on, let's stop-" Iris was about to jump out of the bush, but felt a hand on each shoulder. She looked back to see Hilbert and Hilda both shaking their heads.

"No, just let him be. He'll be fine, trust us." Hilda said, giving a smile. Everyone looked out, seeing the two crash against each other. Shadow holding the bull's horns, pushing as his feet slid inches back. He grunted, turning the horns sideways, flipping the bull upside-down.

"Oh, damn!" Max gasped quietly, not wanting to alert him.

"Ha, round three is mine. Looks like I'm superior." Ash chuckled, helping the bull back on its feet. The bull nodded, smiling.

"It's happy that it lost to a human?" Iris asked quizzically.

"It's rare that a pokemon like that loses to a human, so it can't help but feel that way." Hilda said, crossing her arms.

"Shouldn't it feel disappointed in itself, then? Depressed?" Max asked.

"Nah, pokemon are strange like that." Hilbert said, putting his hands behind his head.

"_Lant_!" the bull exclaimed.

"One more? ...Alright, but just for fun. I still won the competition." the bull shook its head, grinning. "...You are a stubborn pokemon, I'll say that. Alright, this match decides it." the two faced each other, then the sawk raised its arm and they charged. The two charged, his palms crashing into the horns. He lifted its head slowly, grunting as he put his hand under the bull's chest. Suddenly, the bull put its head toward the ground and propelled Ash onto its head, launching him backward in the air. He grunted as he landed hard on the ground, weakly sitting up. "...I don't know how, but you cheated. I demand a do-over!"

"_Lant bouff." _the bull said, shaking its head, smiling.

"Come on, one more! Do-over, do-over!" Ash chanted happily, smiling and laughing brightly. The bull and fighting-type joined in too, but they were shaking their heads. "Damn."

"How is he laughing? He was just throw at least five feet by a bull, he should be hurt!" Misty exclaimed quietly, not wanting to alert him to their presence.

"Nah, Shadow's a weird dude. He's not hurt easily, trust me, it takes the toughest fighting-type to bring him down." Hilbert said, smirking.

"I know that." they all looked back at the brunette and blunette, but who was still unconscious. May stood up, her face not as red as before. "I saw him training with his infernape before, and he really takes it seriously. In the end, his infernape defeated him." she explained.

"His infernape beat him? But he can beat a bouffalant?" Misty asked hysterically.

"His infernape out-maneuvered him, so he lost. But this guy..." she walked closer to the bush, looking out at the man laughing with the bull and fighting-type. A few small birds hopped out of the bushes a few feet from them, jumping on the bull's back and onto its horns. They chirped happily, shaking their feathers.

"Hello there, little guys. I guess it's true, vullaby and rufflet _are_ really cute pokemon." Ash chuckled, gently stroking the birds' feathers. Without warning, they hopped onto his shoulders. He began laughing again, joined by the four pokemon.

"...This guy's not any normal person, he's twisted. His pain is his amusement, and his training is dangerous." she said grimly.

"Don't worry about it." everyone looked at Hilda. "Shadow's fine, he's been doing these things for years. He is twisted in the head, but that's probably from charging at bouffalant and tauros too long." she chuckled.

"Zo, you've known him longest. What _is_ Shadow's past?" Cilan asked.

"I...uh..." she began to feel uncomfortable. "...Well...Shadow would be mad at me if I told you...so, I'm sorry."

"Why would he be mad? Was he a criminal or something?" Max asked.

"No way, he's not like that!" she quickly replied, then covered her mouth. "...Well...not a criminal, but his past isn't that...pleasant..."

"Oh, come on. It can't be that bad." Brock said.

"Cilan said that about how he met Hilbert and Hilda, and he threw them in jail." Zo responded, earning two confused and amazed looks. "We'll tell you the story later."

"Hey, Zo, was it?" everyone looked back, surprised to see the blunette awake again. But, not surprisingly, her face was bright red. "I heard you've known Shadow longest...has he always been...you know...?"

"What, emotionless? A strong trainer? Awesome?" Zo asked.

"No, no, and...awesome? Oh, whatever, I meant...you know...buff, like he is now." Dawn said, hiding her face as it glowed brighter. With that phrase, three other female faces brightened.

"...Well...I have known him longest, but he hasn't always been like that. He used to be scrawny as a sewaddle." she said, laughing quietly.

"But how is that possible!" Dawn gasped, jumping to her feet. "I mean...look at him!" she pointed out the bush, but looked the other way. Everyone looked, once again noticing the bulkiness of the man. "I can't look at him or I'll faint again, but you can! How can, as you say, 'a scrawny sewaddle' become like _that_!"

"Years of training, solitude, and no distractions." Zo replied simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"I...uh..."

"Yo, Shadow!" everyone looked, surprised to see Hilbert stepping out of the bush toward him. Zo was beside him.

"Hilbert, Zo." Ash greeted simply, rubbing the bull's horn while the birds begged for his attention. With his free hand, he stroked the rufflet's chin, much to the vullaby's dismay. "I was wondering when someone was going to come out."

"So you've known the whole time? Should have seen that comin'." Hilbert chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "So you've heard everything?"

"Yes." he looked down at the bull, now stroking the vullaby's chin. "I've heard the girls, especially Dawn and May. As much as I appreciate their comments, could you try to get them out of my private life? I don't want them to pry too much into it, discovering I'm the same child that left them all those years ago." Ash said quietly.

"That'll be hard, you're an interesting person. Plus, the girls aren't going to leave you alone now."Zo said slyly, smirking. Ash glared at her. "So, training with a bouffalant?"

"Yeah, this friendly guy's a local fighter. He's pretty tough, as you've seen, he beat me a few times. This sawk, too, he gave me a run for my money." he gestured to the blue human-like pokemon.

"Huh..." Zo eyed it curiously. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to let your pokemon relax! You _know_ I love relaxing here!" Zo said frustrated, crossing her arms and glaring at him.

"I knew you'd say that, I thought the exact same thing when I took out your pokeball." Ash sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"So if you know how these girls think of you, don't you want to get to know one of them? I mean, I know they were your friends," he said quietly, leaning closer. "But I think they _really_ like you. And on that topic, I never thought of you having admirers." Hilbert smirked.

"Well, it's not like they'll come out easily, Dawn will probably faint again. The others I won't be able to talk to without almost laughing at their reactions." Ash chuckled.

"Let's test that theory. Come on out, guys! He knows!" Hilbert called back, then Hilda immediately came out.

"You knew the whole time, didn't you?" Ash nodded. "I hate it when you do stuff like this." she crossed her arms, shaking her head.

"At least you're not affected by what you see." Ash said quietly, hoping for only the two to hear.

"Oh, shut up. You're just flattering yourself."

"Yeah, you're right. Hilbert, take your shirt off, she wants to see you."

"Shut up! Both of you, shut up!"

"What did I say? I'm against the idea, too!"

"Still!"

"And what did _I_ say? I'm just standing here! But you can't deny, you two have it bad for each-"

"Shut up, just _shut up_!"

"Why me? Why am I subjected to this torture? OW!"

"Serves you right for saying that!"

"All of you, quiet." Ash muttered, looking into the bush. "I don't know why you're still hiding, I know you're there." he called out. Silence. "What are they doing?" Ash asked.

"I dunno, the girls probably don't want to come near you when you're like this." Hilbert said, smirking.

"Ah." he said, looking down at his body. Sawk stepped up and handed him his shirt. "Thanks, sawk." the pokemon nodded as he put his shirt back on. He grabbed his vest, sliding it on. After a few seconds, figures started coming out of the bush.

"Told ya."

"Quiet."

"This will be entertaining."

"No blue hair, so she must have already fainted."

**END**


	14. Chapter 14

**About 2 weeks later. Have fun.**

Silence. Everyone stood together, the blunette looking away, not speaking a word. Ash was petting bouffalant, the baby birds chirping for attention. "So, Shadow..." he looked at the squinty-eyed man. "...Well, why... you train with wild bouffalant?" everyone sweatdropped.

"Well...yeah." was all Ash said back.

"Shadow?" he looked at the redhead, rubbing her arm with the purple-haired girl laughing beside her. "...I...uh...well..."

"There's no need to be nervous, I'm just like any other human being." Ash said, shrugging his shoulders.

"But you're not!" everyone looked at the brunette, who's face was now slightly red. "Well...I mean, you're not like anyone else!"

"She's got guts." Hilda whispered to Hilda.

"Sure does. Ten bucks says he-"

"I don't gamble."

"Baby."

"How so, May?" Ash asked, crossing his arms. The girls had to focus on something else, trying not to look at him.

"Well...you know, you're a really strong trainer." she said, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"That's hardly a reason to separate me from humanity." Ash replied.

"I have more. You train yourself with a bouffalant _and_ against your own infernape!" May said, quickly putting her hands over her mouth.

"Don't worry, I already knew you were there. It's not a secret." Ash told her, waving it off as he rubbed the birds' chins.

"You knew? How long?" May asked.

"The whole time you were there."

"Ugh. Anyway, you take pain as amusement!" Ash arched his eyebrow. "You were punched into a _tree_ by a pokemon, and you were laughing like it was a game! It could have seriously hurt you, same as bouffalant!"

"No way." she gave a strange look. "I've been doing that for years, infernape still has a ways to go. Bouffalant here, he's just a big softy." he stroked the bull's horn, the bull smiling and nodding.

"But..." May was at a loss for words. How could he _still_ dismiss all of this?

"You can say what you want, but you can't change a person. Think about that." Ash said, turning away and starting toward his group of pokemon nearby.

"Well, he certainly has an interesting flavor in opinion." Cilan said, stroking his chin.

"And here we go again." Iris sighed, throwing her arms in the air.

"Didn't you hear a word Shadow just said?" Cilan asked.

"Apparently not."

"Well, I'm not getting into this. Hey, Hilbert?" Cilan asked, facing the man.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I was just wondering something. Since they aren't all Unova pokemon, are all of those Shadow's?" he asked, gesturing to the group of pokemon.

"Yep, every one." Hilbert said, putting his hands behind his head.

"Man, he's awesome!" they looked at Max, who was brimming with excitement. "I'm gonna see them!" Max dashed away.

"Careful!" Hilbert called out, walking after him.

"Careful?" Misty asked, following him as everyone else did.

"Well, Shadow's pokemon are like him. They don't take strangers too kindly." Hilda said, rubbing her head. Once they caught up, they found Max holding his hands up to a typhlosion and gigalith, facing defensively.

"Gigalith, Typhlosion." the two looked back at their trainer, then dismissed it and went back to resting. "You should be more careful when approaching pokemon."

"Sorry, I just haven't seen so many different kinds at once." Max said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

"_Just like him_..." May thought, smiling faintly.

"Well, I guess it's okay, then." Ash said, giving a whistle. Every pokemon head looked up. "Everyone, these are friends. No attacking." Ash called out, the pokemon nodding then going back to their activities.

"They sure are obedient." Iris said, looking at them all.

"Took a few years, but they all eventually accepted orders." Ash shrugged, looking for one pokemon in particular. He noticed a small yellow figure hiding in Torterra's tree, faintly smiling.

"Hey, Shadow?" he looked at the blunette, still looking away. "I...uh..."

"I have a battle in a few hours, so today would be good." Ash chuckled, getting a punch in the shoulder by an innocent-whistling Hilda.

"Well...I...you look handsome." silence. Suddenly, Dawn ran away in a blinding speed.

"O...kay then..." Ash trailed off, trying to recount what just happened. Suddenly, a blurring streak of blue came through the group.

"Hey, where did Misty and Iris go?" Max asked, looking at the now empty spots. Everyone shrugged, looking around.

"Well...anyway, Shadow." he looked at Brock. "Do you mind if I look at some of your pokemon? I'm a part-time pokemon doctor, and I'd love to see the growth in your pokemon, from what I've heard of your training." he said.

"...Alright, I guess." Brock nodded, beginning to look at pokemon's arms, wings, claws, etc.

"Well, I think I'm heading back to the League." Hilda said, stretching her arms. "I'll make your battle, though, Shadow."

"I think I'm going back to the hotel, but I'll definitely make your battle!" Max said excitedly, then gave a yawn.

"I'll come too, I guess." May added, watching Shadow carefully.

"I guess I'll go with Hilda, I could use a nap." Hilbert said, stretching.

"Of course you'd go with Hilda."

"Shut up, Shadow. I swear, I'll-"

"Hey, Charizard's starting to wake up."

"...Let's go, Hilda."

"I can't get beauty sleep with you nearby!"

"Hilbert doesn't care. His opinion of beauty sleep is your sleeping figure."

"Can it, Shadow!"

"Charizard's awake now, you got two minutes."

"Come on, Hilda!" Hilbert grabbed her arm, dashing into the trees. A few seconds later, they saw a large red eagle emerge from the trees, flying toward the League with the two humans on its back.

"Shadow, I think he thinks you were serious." Max chuckled, looking at the man.

"Yeah...what a joke..."

_**A few hours later, Grimsley Arena...**_

"This match between Shadow and Kevin will now begin! Trainers, send out your pokemon!"

"Man, the flames...I didn't even get my nap..." Hilbert muttered, looking down at the cloth wrapped around his arm and neck.

"You should have seen it coming." Hilda said, smiling innocently at him. He rolled his eyes, feeling his cheeks heat up as he looked back at the field. Ash stood there calmly, his hands in his jean pockets as he eyed his opponent. The older man had a mohawk of orange hair, with sunglasses and a handlebar mustache. A blue jean vest over a white t-shirt, navy blue jeans, your ordinary biker gang member.

"Golem, time to destroy!" he shouted, throwing the pokeball in the air. The flash of blue light formed a large circular figure.

"Floatzel, time." Ash said plainly, holding the pokeball out. It opened, revealing the blue flash forming a human-sized orange sea weasel.

"Begin!"

"Golem, Stone Edge!" he shouted, the rock-type forming many small pointy rocks around itself.

"Defend." Ash said, watching the rocks launch toward the weasel. The rocks collided, creating a layer of smoke.

"Yes!" Kevin shouted enthusiastically, pumping a fist.

"Not even close." Ash said, surprising him. When the smoke cleared, Kevin was amazed to see Floatzel standing with its flotation-sack inflated, hiding most of its body and face. "Floatzel, Aqua Jet." the weasel became cloaked in water, darting across the field and crashing into Golem, sending it back to its trainer's feet.

"No!" Kevin shouted, watching Golem get up weakly.

* * *

><p>"How did Golem survive that attack?" Misty asked, watching in amazement.<p>

"How long have _you_ been here?"

* * *

><p>"You're lucky for Golem's Sturdy." Kevin heard him call out, watching him remain calm and motionless. Ash looked up, smirking. "But I'm afraid it's not enough to get past me. Floatzel, Hydro Pump into Aqua Jet." the weasel fired a large spray of water, quickly following it in a spray of water itself.<p>

"Golem, Stone Edge into Protect!" Kevin called, the rock-type formed pointy rocks around itself and formed a wall, then formed a protective green sphere around itself behind the rocks. The spray of water collided into the rocks, dispersing both in every direction. Suddenly, the water continued into the green sphere, then burst through it and released a smoke layer across the field. "What!" Kevin shouted, waiting for the smoke to clear as everyone heard a cry of pain. Once it cleared, the weasel was standing calmly by Ash, arms crossed and eyes closed. Across the field, the rock-type was motionless in a block of ice. "But...how!"

"Golem is unable to battle! Floatzel wins!"

"Simple, really." Ash called out. "Hydro Pump destroyed Stone Edge, Aqua Jet destroyed Protect, then when the smoke blocked everyone's view, Floatzel zeroed in with Ice Punch." he explained.

"Grr...Golem, return!" Kevin called, withdrawing the block of ice into the pokeball. He gritted his teeth, grabbing another ball from his belt.

"Kevin, there's no shame in withdrawing." Ash called out, still smirking.

"No way! I'm not losing now!" he shouted, throwing another pokeball. The blue light disappeared, revealing a large white figure resembling the abominable snowman. "You don't stand a chance! Your water-type moves and Ice Punch won't affect Abomasnow!" Kevin called, grinning confidently.

"We'll see." Ash muttered, grinning to himself. "Floatzel, start with Hydro Pump, then Ice Beam." the weasel fired the spray of water, immediately followed by a streak of ice, freezing the water instantly in mid-air. "Now, get under it and smash it apart." Floatzel dived underneath the block of ice in a split second, its two tails glowing silver as they crashed into the ice. It smashed apart, sending the many sharp pieces into the air.

"What's he planning...?" Kevin muttered, eying the man instead of the air.

"Now, Floatzel, water spiral!" Ash pointed his arm straight up, the weasel grinning. It got on its back, spinning in a breakdance-like fashion as it released a spray of water that split off in every direction, influenced by the spinning. The water hit each ice piece, spinning it in a vortex of water over the battlefield. "Now, let it fall and defend." Floatzel cut off the spinning and water, inflating its sack again. Everyone watched, a few gasped, as the ice continued to spin in the air, darting down toward the battlefield.

"Abomasnow, dodge it!" unfortunately, the ice was spinning in the air, so it was almost impossible to predict where it would land. Abomasnow started moving in a random direction, but was surprised as a piece caught its head. "I...I can't dodge!"

"An improvised Hail attack. But this, Abomasnow is damaged by." Ash called out, smirking as he watched the ice spears strike all over the field. Abomasnow grunted in pain as it was struck, one after the other repeatedly. Ice crashed into Floatzel, but bounced off its flotation ring.

"Abomasnow, try to use Ingrain!" Kevin called desperately. Abomasnow grunted, punching the ground with green-glowing fists. The ground around it glowed green, then Abomasnow started to, as well.

"Not a chance. Floatzel, Aqua Jet into Iron Tail." the weasel darted in the stream of water, breaking it off as it faced a few feet from Abomasnow. Suddenly, it swung its body around and slammed its silver-glowing tail into Abomasnow's jaw, sending it crashing into the wall.

"No!" Kevin shouted loudly, not believing what he had just seen.

"Abomasnow is unable to battle! Floatzel wins!"

"Return..." Kevin muttered, recalling the snowman-like pokemon.

* * *

><p>"He really has no chance, does he?" Dawn asked.<p>

"Not a bit." Iris replied, crossing her arms and shaking her head.

"How long have _you_ been there?"

* * *

><p>"No one would disrespect you for admitting, Kevin." Ash called out. The man gritted his teeth, nearly crushing the pokeball in his hand. Everyone waited impatiently for a few seconds, then Kevin sighed.<p>

"...I admit defeat. There's no sense in continuing." Kevin called, feeling weak in the knees. The ref nodded, raising his flag.

"Kevin has forfeit the match! Therefore, Shadow and Floatzel win!"

"Man...I guess I'm not even close to being the best..." Kevin muttered, looking at the pokeball in his hand. "Do I even deserve my friends...?"

"Hey, Kevin." he noticed Ash standing a few feet from him, hands in his pockets. "...Good battle." he held out a hand.

"But...I lost, miserably..."

"I don't care about that." Kevin looked strangely at him. "You fought with your heart, not with anger. You were angry and you forfeit, showing you really care for your pokemon. If you kept going, you might have pushed your pokemon to its very limit." Ash explained.

"...I know...I would never forgive myself...if..."

"There's nothing wrong with giving up. After seeing my Floatzel, you probably thought it was a lost cause." Kevin nodded. "Whether you believe it or not, I didn't have my other two pokemon with me."

"What? But what if you lost Floatzel?"

"That's how much I believe in my pokemon. If I lose one pokemon, it makes me realize how much I still have to go." Ash told him, turning away.

"Hey, Shadow! When we battle again, I won't lose!" Ash smirked.

"I'm looking forward to it." "_A simple lie never hurts anyone...oh, wait..." _he continued walking toward the exit. Meanwhile, in the crowd, Ash's friends stood silently, thinking individual thoughts.

_"Jeez, that guy...Ow, my arm..."_

_"Ash always acts like the good guy after a battle, I wonder if he's trying to impress someone. Hilbert could actually learn from him..."_

_"Ash will never lose! And once I'm in battle, I'll show him who's the hard-headed, quick-tempered, annoying girl then!"_

_"That man sure gives a delicious battle recipe...Huh, maybe Iris _is_ right..."_

_"How long have Iris and Misty been here? They just snuck up on us, like witches or something...Not like I can see them, though..."_

_"Shadow is so awesome! I disappoint myself for fangirling over him like this, but that guy...!"_

_"His pokemon are amazing! But I'm not going to lose to him! I'm a dragon master, and I'll show him no mercy!"_

_"This guy...I wonder what his type is..."_

_"That floatzel used the same strategy Ash used...I guess even Shadow has an idol. I bet that trash-talking was just a tough guy act."_

_"Ohmygosh, Shadow is _sooo_ amazing! I can't believe he wins so easily! He's the best trainer ever! I can't wait to tell him...finally being in his arms...and I saw him with no shirt! His muscular, manly body...ooh, feeling dizzy..."_

**END**

**There you go, chapter 14. I think you can sort out the thoughts at the end to their appropriate thinker, judging by words and names. Well, R&R! No flaming, Hilbert will think you're Charizard!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Sorry to disappoint, but I've been feeling dark auras from my recent comments on this. Honestly, I'm thinking someone's going to pop up on my doorstep and say UPDATE, then hit me. Well, enjoi!**

**Also, I changed my mind on the Dawn shippings. I figured it's a little late to add Gary if I chose him, but I might do hints about each.**

**I don't own pokemon, characters or personalities! Let's blow this keg!**

Yawning, Ash stretched his arms and twisted his back. A single night had passed since his flawed victory against Kevin, still feeling bad for the guy. "I guess reality hit him harder than I thought..." Ash said to himself, looking down to his electric partner copying his actions.

"I think you did the right thing." he looked over to the tent, noticing a female figure crawling from the flaps. "The guy needed a dose of reality, by the looks of it."

"Hilda, that's not the point." she looked confused. "When I first started my journey back in Kanto, I was a ten year old child dreaming of being the best trainer. I met gym leaders and elite four members from each region, even some champions...it made me realize I was nowhere near the best." Ash explained, grabbing his backpack from the tree behind him.

"So you ran away for a few years, training?" Hilda asked, smirking as she crossed her arms. Ash sighed quietly, standing up again and slinging his backpack across his shoulder.

"You wouldn't understand." Hilda frowned.

"I know I wouldn't, but I still feel like you could do more. I bet May's words got to you." Ash cringed, making Hilda notice a sort of dark feeling.

"No, it didn't." his tone had changed. "She believed taking training seriously was an act against human nature, and that's the kind of opinion that lead this world into pokemon wars. Many years ago, in Kanto, there was a battle at a place called Cameron Palace. The two sides fought vigorously, but neither side came out as the victor." he spoke, his back still to her.

"I think I might've heard about that. Didn't someone oppose both sides, and defeat everyone or something?" Hilda asked, tapping her chin in thought.

"Someone sacrificed himself for the castle's safety." Ash's fists tightened. "The man was Sir Aaron, aura guardian. He went to the Tree of Beginning, giving his aura to Mew to stop the fighting. He gave all his aura to Mew, inevitably killing him." Ash opened his eyes, his fists loosening.

"Why would he kill himself for the castle? Was he that devoted to royalty?" Hilda asked.

"He was a pure man, one of bravery and devotion. His life belonged with the Palace, so he ended himself for it." Ash said calmly, turning to her. "It's people like that are the reason we're here today. Without them, the wars would have consumed the world. I intend to honor them until my end, I suggest you do the same." Ash opened his backpack, the mouse obediently crawling in. Walking through the trees, he left the girl still confused.

"Ash..." she muttered, feeling bad about herself. With the man, he stepped out on the partway, seeing a few people here and there. He sighed, stepping toward the entrance of the hotel.

"That's my job, have a nice day." a cheerful pink-haired woman said, smiling to a man as he walked away clipping pokeballs to his belt. She looked toward the battle-board, occupied by a few people.

"Still enjoying your job?" a familiar deep voice asked. She looked over, seeing Ash leaning against the counter, his back to her.

"Oh, Shadow. Of course, it's what I'm here for." she said happily, giving a smile. He looked over his shoulder, giving a half-smile back.

"Don't you Nurse Joys ever want to do something else? I've met scuba divers, mothers, but almost every Joy is a nurse." Ash said, giving a frown.

"Of course, that's natural. But, we're all guided towards what we do best." she said, smiling again as she pulled out a magazine from under the counter.

"So you let fate choose your career, then? You don't take control of your life?" Ash asked.

"Still having trouble finding your life's true path?" she asked, flipping a page as she leaned on the counter.

"In a way, I guess you could say that. Well, I've got a battle soon. I'll see you later, Nurse Joy." Ash said, giving her a half-smile as he walked away.

"Don't be afraid to open your eyes, Shadow." he stopped. "Sometimes, your best choice is right in front of you." Ash thought for a moment, then smirked as he put his hand out to the side, continuing again out the door. Once outside, he noticed Hilda and Hilbert walking out of the trees. Hilbert had his hands behind his head coolly, while Hilda had her arms crossed and facing the other way.

"Kids..." he muttered, walking toward the stadium.

"Shadow!" he sighed, not stopping but turning his head. Hilbert and Hilda walked faster, catching up beside him. "Why didn't you stop?"

"You know me, not social." Ash responded.

"Not anymore." Hilbert muttered, smirking.

"Watch it, I might use Charizard today." Ash said threateningly, glaring at the other man, immediately shutting him up.

"So, Shadow, how are you going to battle today?" Hilda asked, looking at his face.

"You'll see." she frowned. "You don't get anywhere in this world asking for hints and cheats. You gotta face it head-on, and find a way around it." Ash stated, confusing her again.

"Man, your poems scare me, Shadow." Hilbert told him, frowning. Ash looked at him.

"Poems?"

* * *

><p>"This battle between Shadow and Warren will now begin! Trainers, choose your pokemon!"<p>

"Swampert, let's do this!" he tossed the pokeball, releasing the fierce mud fish. Ash smirked. "Shadow! I've seen your impressive battles, so I don't want you to let up! If I'm going down, I want it serious!" he shouted across the field. The boy was a few inches shorter than Shadow, with brown hair that was untamed. He wore a simple black t-shirt with black sweatbands on his wrists, and blue jeans.

"Going easy doesn't exist to me." Ash called back, extending a pokeball straight out. "I go all out, no matter what." He felt the pokeball open in his hand, the blue light striking the battlefield and taking form. Standing was now a tall green praying mantis-like creature, its body made of leaves.

"Swampert vs. Leavanny! Begin!"

"Swampert, let's start this with Earthquake!" the mud fish slammed its fist into the ground, causing a quake going toward the bug.

"Balance." Ash said calmly, the bug going down to all fours as the quake shook all around it, but caused no effect. "Now, String Shot." the gooey substance struck the mud fish, wrapping around its arms.

"Break it!" Warren called, everyone could tell the mud fish tried to break it from its expression. Then, the strings broke as the mud fish grinned at the grass-type. "You're tough, Shadow, but I'm tougher! Ice Beam!" a blue beam of ice darted across the field.

"Leavanny, Energy Ball." the bug formed a green sphere of natural energy, firing it at the beam. It collided, showing equal power until the icy beam began to push it back. "Leaf Storm." the bug released a swirling vortex or leaves, striking the sphere and enlargening it. The sphere pushed through the beam, nearly hitting swampert as it jumped out of the way. "Now, finish with Leaf Blade." the bug's arms glowed green, it dashed across the field.

"Intercept with Ice Punch!" the mud fish's fists glowed sky-blue, colliding with the bug's blades as their eyes met in determination.

"You've got a lot of counter-attacks for your weakness, I'll commemorate you for that." Warren grinned, then gasped as Leavanny began pushing Swampert back. "Swampert, break off!"

"Leavanny, Energy Ball." the bug formed another green sphere, smirking as it struck Swampert directly in the chest. A thin layer of smoke spread across the field, but the figure of swampert and leavanny retreating to its trainer were still visible.

"Swampert! Water Pulse on the ground!" Ash wondered, but realized.

"Leavanny, when the water gets close, jump in the air." the bug nodded, watching the wave of water spread across the field. Once it was close, Leavanny jumped and looked down. Where it once was, there was the mud fish's figure in the water. "Using the water to travel faster is smart, but that won't cut it with me. Leavanny, Energy Ball barrage. When the water parts, dive in with Leaf Blade." numerous green spheres struck the field, causing ripples and parting the water. Swampert swam to dodge, but without knowing swam right out of the water. It looked around, noticing the water disappear, then remembered about Leavanny. It looked up, seeing the bug diving toward it with glowing arms. Swampert felt fear as the bug struck it, sending it rolling back to its trainer's feet with swirls for eyes.

"Swampert is unable to battle! Leavanny wins!" he returned the mud fish, muttering something to the pokeball before returning it to his belt. Many gasps were heard from the crowd, even from the ref. Warren looked up, gasping too as he saw Leavanny being pulled into the pokeball by the red light.

"Shadow...he's changing pokemon..." Warren muttered in utter disbelief. Everyone began chatting and whispering about the amazing sight, while Ash sweat-dropped as he smirked.

"Warren, you're a great trainer. Your strategies are not to be taken lightly, I'll say that. You want a full-out battle, I'll give you one." Ash grinned across the field, Warren grinned back.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. Let's go, Absol!" he tossed the pokeball, releasing a dog-like creature. Surprisingly, its fur was white but with a opalescent red to it, and a ruby red covered its face, claws, tail and horn. "Don't go easy, Shadow! My Absol's special, as you can easily see!"

"Shiny Absol...Alright." he grinned, moving his hand to a pokeball on his belt. But, he was surprised to see a blue flash from his belt hit the battlefield, forming a large blue creature with blades on its legs and a shell-like horn on its head. "Samurott?" it looked back, grinning. "...Should've known it would happen sometime. All right, Samurott, Hydro Pump." the water-type fired a massive stream of water.

"Absol, Psycho Cut!" the dog drew back its head, its horn glowing pink. It swung its head to the side, releasing a pink blade across the air toward the water. It struck the stream, cutting right through it and continuing through the water toward Samurott.

"Samurott, dodge and use Water Pulse." the water-type moved to the left swiftly, narrowly avoiding the blade.

"Absol, Sucker Punch!" Warren called confidently, the dog dashing across the field at great speed as its horn glowed a dark shade. Samurott's sphere formed in front of its mouth, but was surprised as it suddenly imploded as Absol's horn struck it. The water expelled in every direction, surprising Samurott. Suddenly, it felt a slash across its face as it stumbled to the side. It watched Absol land in front of it, jumping back to its side, grinning. Samurott glared, baring its teeth.

"Calm down, Samurott." it looked back to Ash. "Anger clouds the mind, and weakens your state. Remain calm and use Hydro Pump again." Samurott paused, then fired the massive water stream.

"I know you have a plan, but it won't work! Psycho Cut!" Warren called, the dog releasing the same pink blade.

"Perfect." Ash grinned. "Samurott, dive in with Razor Shell cross." Samurott grinned, diving into the stream of water. It grabbed its scalp-chops from its forelegs, the ends extending into blue blades. It crossed them in front of it, darting through the water as if using Aqua Jet. The blades intercepted, but Samurott pushed through and burst out of the water before the two could react. It raised its blades in the air, bringing them down on the dog's head. It called in pain, not thinking when it jumped into the air, wanting to get away from danger. "While it's stunned, Water Pulse." Samurott fired another blue sphere, this one enveloping Absol in mid-air.

"Absol, no!" Warren shouted, watching the dog be launched at the ground, slamming into the field. It weakly got to its feet, glaring at the water-type across the field. "Let's finish this, buddy! Night Slash!" the dog's horn glowed black, the tip extending into a blade. It dashed toward its opponent in obedience, anger and shame.

"Samurott, Razor Shell cross." Ash said calmly, grinning. The water-type formed its double blades again, crossing them. It brought them in the air, jumping as it came down toward the dog. Absol jumped up, connecting their blades as the two bared their teeth in determination, their powers trying to overcome one another. A sonic boom formed around them, releasing a powerful wave of wind across the field and the area. Some crowd members were knocked off their feet, some landing on the ground and some being caught. The ref and Warren put one leg back, holding their balance, while Ash stood still as his hair blew in the wind, grinning. Only a few were looking, but the attacks were cancelled out suddenly as both fell back to the field. They both landed on their sides, but Samurott was the one to stand again as it raised its blade in the air.

"Absol is unable to battle! Samurott wins!" Warren smirked as he recalled the pokemon, whispering to the pokeball before pulling another one.

"You certainly are one of the best here, Shadow. No one's ever made me return Absol." he called across the field.

"Thanks for the compliment, and you're one of the best I've faced in a long time." Ash called back, raising Samurott's pokeball. Everyone gasped again as the water-type starter disappeared into the pokeball's light. "I've never had to go this far before."

"Though it's my last, this one won't let up! If I lose today, I'm honored it was to you! Medicham, psych up!" he tossed the pokeball, releasing the human-like pokemon in a meditating stance as it hovered. Ash grinned again.

"It's been a while..." Ash said, extending the pokeball as it released the light. On the field, it took form of a pokemon with a red multi horn-like crest, and an intimidating face. It wore pant-like free skin, and more acting like a hood being its neck.

"A fight of dual-types, huh?" Warren muttered, looking at the Scrafty. "All right! Medicham, go in with Fire Punch!" the meditating pokemon planted its feet, jumping into the air. It brought its fist back, flames suddenly erupting from it as it came down toward Scrafty.

"Intercept with Brick break." the hoodlum jumped, bringing its arm back and swinging it up at the psychic-type, colliding with the flames. They both pushed, then they cancelled out as they both fell back to the ground. Being well-trainer pokemon, they recalled their senses as they landed on their feet. "Focus Blast." Scrafty formed a blue sphere between its hands, launching it across the field.

"Medicham, let's fire that back! Force Palm!" the psychic-type extended its arm, its palms glowing. As the attack reached its hand, it released a power into the sphere, blowing it into beams of energy as they fired back toward Scrafty.

"Heh, nothing less...Dodge." Scrafty jumped into the air, spinning and rotating to avoid each and every ray of energy. Ash merely stepped side to side as they sped past him. "He's really not holding back... Alright, Scrafty, Focus Blast with Brick Break." the pokemon formed the sphere again, but didn't fire it. Instead, its arms had a shine on them as Scrafty brought them both back, putting them together as it swung them back, striking the sphere and bursting it across the field.

"Medicham!" Warren called, the psychic-type raised its arms but the sphere was too fast as it struck its chest. The meditation pokemon fell back, stumbling to get up. "That was fast...and powerful..."

"Scrafty, time to end this. Get in close." the pokemon dashed across the field, closing in.

"What's he up to...? Medicham, keep your guard up with Psychic!" the meditation pokemon's eyes glowed blue as it watched the pokemon dash toward it.

"Finishing move, Head Smash." Ash called, the hoodlum pokemon grinning as its forehead began to glow an orange, the wind splitting across the sides of Scrafty's head as it began to pick up speed. Medicham extended its arms, and Scrafty slowed down. But, it continued and struck Medicham in the chest. They stood for a few seconds, then Medicham suddenly burst backwards past Warren into the wall.

"Medicham!" Warren shouted, gasping as he looked back at his pokemon, now a foot or two into the wall with swirls for eyes.

"Medicham is unable to battle! This battle goes to Scrafty and Shadow!"

"No way...I guess I shouldn't expect less from this guy..." Warren muttered to himself, recalling the pokemon from the wall. He put away his pokeball, looking back to see Shadow recalling Scrafty. The two looked at each other, moving toward the center of the field. At the middle, Shadow smirked and put out his hand.

"Best battle I've had in years." he stated. Warren smirked back, shaking his hand.

"Same here. But probably the best I've ever had." he said, chuckling. Ash chuckled too.

"When you want a rematch, I'll gladly accept."

"Thanks. I guess I'll have to call the pokemon champion's league in a few days, then." his smirk turned to a smile as he laughed. Even Ash smiled at that.

"Thanks, I won't let you down, kid." Ash turned away, smirking to himself as he had gained another fan.

* * *

><p>In the crowd, Hilda was mad. "I can't believe that guy just insulted me!" Hilda said angrily, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff.<p>

"He didn't insult you, you're just imagining things." Hilbert said cooly, putting his arms behind his head.

"He said the best battle in years, _I'm_ the only one he's battled in years! And that means he insulted you, too!"

"Does it...? Hey, it does!"

"Yeah! Aren't you angry now?"

"Nah, he'll just mention Charizard."

"If I find a way to make him not, will you put him in his place?"

"Why me?"

"Because you're a guy, I wouldn't want to ruin my image."

"The horror movie, featuring - Ow!"

"Oops, my fist slipped."

"Alright, I guess...I'll put him in his place, just to make you stop hitting me."

"Great! Now I've got to think of a way to mess with his mind..."

"I can think of a lot of ways...most of them would end in horrible pain, though."

* * *

><p>"Brock, when's our next battle?" Max asked the man.<p>

"What? You should know that yourself, not me!" the man defended.

"Alright, alright! I'll go check, then." Max sighed, walking back through the hotel doors.

"He's such a kid..." Iris sighed, crossing her arms.

"Do you know your next battle?" Cilan asked. Iris looked at him.

"Who do you take me for, an idiot?" she asked.

"What time is it, then?"

"...I better go double-check, in case I'm wrong..."

"Right..."

"May, Misty! Let's go look for Shadow!"

"You say we fantasize over him..."

"Can it, hot-head! Let's go, May!"

"Hey, let me go! Guys, help! Guys?"

"I swear, Cilan, your some sort of psychic connoisseur..."

"Two minutes...two more minutes, I would have won..."

"You two really have no luck, I better go to the bank soon."

"Shut up..."

"I should stop this altogether..."

"Attention, everyone!" their attentions were brought to the speaker system, as was everyone's in the area. Dawn stopped pulling May's arm as they looked up at the speaker. Hilda and Hilbert stopped fighting as they looked up, Ash shook his head in amusement as he watched the two, then looked up. "We have had many splendid battles before! The number of trainer cutbacks has made its first limit! And everyone knows what that means...Congratulations, second-round participants!"

**END**


	16. Chapter 16

**Two chaps in a row! Don't get angry now, or I might just wait a **_**very long time**_**! Never doubt the power and choice of a depressed child!**

"Second round, huh?" Ash asked himself, smirking. "Things will finally get interesting..."

"Hey, Shadow!" he looked up, seeing Hilda and Hilbert walking toward him. "What are you thinking about?" Hilda asked, tilting her head.

"Nothing important, just how this competition might get a little more interesting." Ash put his hands behind his head, looking in the corner of the eye. "So you saw that battle?"

"Of course, you're our friend." Hilbert said, patting the man's back. "We'd never run out on you!"

"Hilbert..."

"We'll always be there for you, man!"

"Hilbert...!"

"You can count on us!"

"Hilbert!" Hilda's fist hit his arm, glaring at the man.

"Ow! What?" Hilbert looked at her, while she motioned toward Ash. Hilbert glanced at him, noticing him looking at the ground with his eyes closed, with a dark feeling in the air. "Aw, crap..."

"Shadow, come on...you know how stupid Hilbert is sometimes." Hilda said, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Forget it, Shadow, they're here and you can make things better with them." Hilda said, smiling.

"But I'm lying." his tone changed, Hilda recognized it from that morning. "...You know, just forget it." Ash moved, making Hilda's hand drop.

"Come on, Shadow, Hilda's right. I'll admit I have my moments where-" Hilbert started, but Ash looked at him with a dark expression.

"I said forget it." he said darkly, turning away and walking out of the stadium.

"Man..." Hilbert muttered, putting his hands behind his head again.

"I must say, this is your biggest screw-up I can remember..." Hilda said, shaking her head as she watched Shadow walk away.

* * *

><p>"<em>Man, are they right...? I just left one day, that's nothing less than abandoning...I can't just fix things, they'll probably murder me for leaving..."<em> Ash thought, looking at the ground in front of him. After a few seconds, he bumped into something. "Oh, I'm sorry-" he stopped when he looked up again, seeing a man about an inch shorter than him. But this wasn't just any other man.

"No problem, just watch where you're going from now on, okay?" the man had blonde hair with piercing eyes, wearing an orange jacket over a dark purple hoodie. Also having grey jeans and black and white sneakers, Ash immediately recognized him. "Something wrong?"

"No. You're Trip from Unova, right?" Ash asked.

"You've heard of me, huh?" he asked plainly.

"Yes, I have." "_Might as well have some fun..."_

"Well, I have somewhere to be. See you later." he started, but Ash stopped him.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Trip looked back. "How did you lose to that kid in the Unova League a few years ago? That Ketchum kid."

"Ash Ketchum? ...Well, I guess I got overconfident. I took him for granted, the guy never evolved his pokemon. He always believed in his pokemon's power, but when they lost he was amazed as if he couldn't see what was really happening." Trip explained, looking into the air. "Speaking of that, I haven't heard about him since then..."

"Yeah, the kid was kind of stupid, wasn't he?" Ash chuckled, trying to break Trip from that thought.

"I wouldn't exactly say stupid, but blind." Trip looked at him. "He had potential power in pokemon training, but there were always better strategies. He just never saw them, making him not live to his full power." he explained, turning away again. "Well, I've got to go..."

"Shadow."

"Right. See you later, Shadow." Trip smirked, walking away. Ash smirked to himself.

"_I guess the competition _did_ just get more interesting..._" Ash thought, walking back to the campground. When he got there, he found a girl crawling out of the tent, rubbing her eyes. "Zo? How long have you been in there?"

"Huh...? Oh, Ash...er, Shadow...What time is it...?" Zo yawned, looking around.

"It's almost lunch now. Again, how long have you been in there?" Ash asked, crossing his arms.

"I dunno...I woke up sometime last night, I decided to come out of my poekball for some air...it gets cramped in there, you know." Zo stated, yawning again. Ash only sighed, taking his backpack and opening it. Out jumped a small yellow mouse, carrying a juice box. It smiled at Ash before jumping to the ground, walking to the tent.

"Pi..." Ash sighed, rubbing his head. Pikachu looked back.

"_Pikachu pi, chupi pika?_"

"No, I'm not thinking about that." Ash told the mouse.

"Thinking about what? What happened?" Zo asked, looking back and forth from the mouse to Ash.

"Nothing important."

"_Pikapi, chupi pikachu pika pi._"

"Pikachu, they don't understand our situation at all. They've never left someone for over five years." Ash sighed, falling to the ground and leaning against a close tree.

"Ah, I get it now..." Zo said to herself, looking at him. "Hey, don't worry about that. Remember, I left Mee-Maw to come join you guys."

"Yeah, but that was different. Your mother knew you would leave the nest eventually, like a bird or something. My friendship with them was unbreakable, and we all relied on each other." Ash explained, sighing again.

"But if they're your friends, they'd understand if you ever had to leave. You didn't abandon them or anything...more like a vacation." Zo said.

"One doesn't take a vacation for five years without telling anyone, Zo." Ash said calmly, looking in the sky. "I can't imagine the five years of pain they must have went through, wondering where I went..."

"Hey, stop that." Zo said seriously, Ash looked at her surprised at her tone. "Since you're my trainer, I respect you and serve under you. As your friend, I want to help you get over your problems and become your normal self again." she remained serious for a few seconds, then smiled. "So stop moping, they wouldn't want that, would they?" Ash stared at her, surprised, then smirked.

"...I guess not. Thanks, Zo." he said, standing up again.

"No problem, Ash, anytime. By the way..." Ash looked at her, but she was suddenly on her feet and her face was in his, her hands on her hips with an angry expression. "Just _when_ are you planning on using me in this tournament!"

"Easy, Zo, easy. I'll be using you near the end, as a secret weapon." Ash said, backing up from her but she followed.

"So what, I'm just a _weapon _to you? Am I not strong enough to make more than one appearance?" she asked angrily.

"No, you're plenty strong as you are. I'm saving you for the end because no one will suspect a small pokemon like you to be so powerful." Ash said, holding his hands up to stop her.

"So I'm _small_ now, am I? I'll teach you!" She backed up, putting her hands a foot away from each other in front of her chest. Ash watched in surprise and horror.

"Zo, you wouldn't...!" too late. A purple sphere formed between her hands, which she fired at him. He dodged easily, sliding across the grass a few feet away. Zo followed him, firing another Shadow Ball at him. He dodged again. "Zo, calm down! I'm not-"

"Quiet, Ash! Stop dodging and fight!" another Shadow Ball narrowly missed his arm.

"You of everyone I am not fighting, Zo! I'm going and please don't follow me!" Ash escaped through the trees, Zo watched him disappear then giggled to herself. Her mad expression turned cheerful as she turned toward the tent, where Pikachu was watching in surprise, still holding his juice box to his mouth.

"And that's that, Pikachu. That should get his mind off it for a while."

"Jeez, that pokemon..." Ash muttered, rubbing his forehead as he walked toward the hotel doorway. In the opening, his eyes couldn't help but notice the group of his old friends at the stadium entrance. But not just them, he noticed Hilda and Hilbert moving toward them. Ash hurried inside, hoping they didn't notice him.

"Hiding, Shadow?" he looked at the nurse, giggling to herself. "You shouldn't hide, but go face-to-face."

"You know, getting advice from a nurse each day makes me feel like I'm losing my edge..." Ash said, quietly laughing to himself as he leaned against the counter. "Are you sure you never get bored of this job?"

"Of course. I'm dedicated to helping pokemon, and in return they help workers build the world around me." she said happily.

"But you don't always heal construction pokemon." Ash stated.

"Yes, but not necessarily in construction. Pokemon fight in battles between trainers to expand this world, growing stronger together as partners and friends." Joy explained cheerfully, smiling.

"You sounded a lot like Team Plasma just now..." Ash said, scratching the back of his head.

"Did I? ...Whatever the case that might be, I still say you shouldn't hide. Life wasn't given to us for running away from everything, we were meant to face what stands in our way and expand. Without fear, we charge in and take our pride from whatever opposes it!" she spoke happily, but the last phrase came out as if in a battle speech, giving Ash a strange feeling.

"Uh, Nurse Joy...Has anyone ever told you that you seem to have a sort of...serious side...?" Ash asked carefully, not wanting to set something off.

"I do?" she asked innocently, putting her finger to her chin. "I can't say anyone's every said that to me. I've only known the cheerful nurse you see now." she smiled again, tilting her head. Ash sighed quietly, shaking his head.

"Never mind, then. Is the new battle schedule up?" Ash asked.

"Yes, just a few minutes ago. I haven't seen many over there yet, so you better hurry. But then again, trainers do get a schedule sent to their rooms..." Nurse Joy thought out loud, tapping her chin.

"Really? Man, I could have used that..." he sighed again.

"But you gave it up with the better part of your heart, that's much more enticing than selfishness. You should be proud of that." she said happily, smiling brightly.

"Okay...well, thanks. See you later, Nurse Joy." Ash raised his hand, walking toward the battle board. At that moment, the electric doors opened.

"I'm just saying, Max, if you had caught something other than a dragon-type..."

"Shut up, Max!" Ash sighed quietly, ignoring the group as he went carefully down the list of names.

"Hey, Nurse Joy. Is the new schedule up yet?" Hilda asked.

"Yes, just a few minutes ago." she answered cheerfully, pointing over toward Ash.

"Hey, Shadow!" Ash closed his eyes, recognizing the familiar energetic voice of the blunette. As he thought, the next split-second she was beside him. But, she had her hands on his arm as she hugged him from the side. "It's been a while! It's great to see you!"

"Dawn, it hasn't been half a day." Ash said, still looking down the names.

"Really? It just feels like it's been soo long!"

"Dawn!" she looked over, seeing the others coming toward them. Brock shook his head. "I'm sure Shadow doesn't appreciate being hugged like that."

"Yeah, you're lucky you're a girl." everyone but Ash looked at Hilbert, who stood in his usual arms behind his head position. "If you were a guy and touched him in any way, even a pat on the shoulder, you'd probably be flipped or punched. But close friends like me, we get off easy." Hilbert smirked.

"But he still punches you for fun." Hilda snickered, looking at him.

"...Yeah..." Hilbert's mood dropped, becoming depressed.

"Don't worry about it, Hilbert." everyone looked at Ash, who was still scanning the board. "It's just because you're fun to hit. Nothing because you're my friend."

"How can you say that? You hit your friends for fun, but you dismiss it so casually!" now all eyes were on May, even Ash's. "...I...I mean, you're so inhuman! You're like an alien race made of jerks!"

"May, don't yell at Shadow like that!" Dawn scolded her, glaring.

"Don't take his side, Dawn! He's evil!"

"No way!"

"Girls, calm down." Brock said, stepping between the two glaring. "We're not here to fight, we're here to check the board. By the way, Shadow, have you found your name yet?" Brock asked him.

"Not yet, but I found Max. You'll be against Trip." Ash said, chuckling.

"_Trip_? As in 'Ash's Unova rival' Trip?" Max asked, surprised. Ash was about to say yes, but remember that he was Shadow. Shadow didn't know them. But he could always find a way around it.

"Well, I don't know about that. But I know it's the same Trip he defeated in the Unova League." Ash stated, feeling pleased with himself for thinking of that.

"Oh, man! I am _in_ for it!" Max said happily, grinning as he pumped a fist.

"So, Shadow, who are you against?" Iris asked, looking confused. He continued scanning the board, then found his name. Reading it, Ash only started laughing quietly.

"This'll definitely be interesting..." he muttered, then felt himself pushed away. Dawn still held on, moving with him. Everyone watched Hilbert scan the list, then pointed.

"Ah, here we go." he stated, then stopped.

"Hilbert? Not again..." Iris sighed, moving to the board.

"Good luck, you'll need it." Hilbert said, stepping aside. Iris looked at him funny, then found Shadow near the bottom.

"What! No way!" Iris gasped, staring at the board, then at Ash.

"What? Who is he against?" May asked. Iris hesitated, then read the names out loud.

"Shadow vs. Iris."

**END**

**Bam! I was thinking of doing Max against Ash, then was like naaahh! Iris! If you really want me to change it to Max, I'll need a decent amount of comments quickly. I won't update for a week or two, so that should give readers time enough to tell me you want Max instead of Iris.**

**How will Ash vs. Iris go?  
>How will Max vs. Trip go?<br>Who is Hilda against? How will it go?  
>Will any other familiar rivals be revealed?<br>Will any old childhood friends be revealed?**

**R&R for answers! Stay tuned for this!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Friday the 13th, I thought it would have been worse. The worst thing that happened to me was I slipped on snow and fell. The weird thing is I haven't slipped on snow for, like, five years. I know, strange. Anyway...**

**I don't own pokemon! Nothing, nada, zip!**

**Oh, yeah. I decided to keep it, no battle changes. Last thing: I am scared of beastmode953. You **_**literally read my mind!**_

"What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna _do_!" everyone sighed as the questions were repeated for the millionth. Everyone watched the purple-haired girl pace around the room, biting her fingers with a worried expression.

"Iris, just relax-"

"How can I relax! I can't battle Shadow!" she shouted, looking as if her sanity was dangling in the balance.

"Yes you can, Iris. Just calm down, keep cool, and you'll be able to keep up with him." Dawn said, filing her nails on her bed. Everyone looked at her. "What?"

"Iris will be able to _beat_ him, Dawn. We all believe in her." Brock said, hoping Dawn would realize to help Iris feel better.

"No way."

"Dawn!" the girls shouted.

"I'm just saying, we all saw Shadow battling. There's no way he'll ever be beat." Dawn said plainly.

"Dawn, don't talk like that! He will be beat and we'll all see it!" May said angrily, earning a strange look from all eyes. "What? I hate the guy."

"More like you love him." Dawn smirked.

"No way!"

"Yep."

"NO!"

"Hey Brock, how about a bet?"

"No way. I have to go shopping soon."

"Max?"

"Do you have to ask?"

"Poor sports..."

"Calm down, you two. We don't need to go through this again." Max sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Shut up, Max!"

"..._*Sigh*..._" Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Brock stood up, walking toward it and turning the handle. Surprisingly, he found a familiar man waiting.

"Hey." Hilbert said calmly, leaning against the door-frame.

"Hilbert? What's up?" Max asked.

"Nothing, just felt bored. Thinking about these three, I figured this would be the most exciting place." he said plainly, pointing at Misty, Dawn and May.

"Us? How?" May asked.

"And why were you thinking of us?" Misty asked, eying him strangely. Hilbert cringed, holding his hands in defense.

"No, don't get me wrong. I was just with Shadow and he was acting strangely, I just figured you three were on his mind." Hilbert said, waving his hands. The three girls eyes softened, looking at him.

"What do you mean, acting strange?" Hilbert nearly jumped as the blunette appeared beside him.

"Jeez! Well, he was saying he was really looking forward to your battle." he pointed at Iris.

"He's looking forward to battling me? Why?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"I'm not sure myself, I have no idea what goes on in Shadow's mind. But, if there was anyone who did, I would really want to meet them." Hilbert chuckled.

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Dawn, he answered you already." Max sighed. "So, Hilbert, what is Shadow doing anyway? Training?"

"No, he was letting his pokemon relax. Now Hilda's with him, probably making him mad." Hilbert shrugged, but Brock noticed something peculiar.

"Jealous?" Hilbert looked at the man, his arms crossed and smirking.

"No way. Why would I be?" he asked.

"Shadow and Hilda alone."

"Are you implying something?"

"There's no point denying it, I can already tell. From both Shadow and my own viewings."

"What viewings?"

"When you mentioned Shadow and Hilda, you bit your lip."

"..."

"Don't worry about it." Brock patted his shoulder twice, stepping past him through the doorway. May jumped up, dashing after him. Hilbert looked back, watching them disappear down the hall. When he turned back, he found all eyes on him and a lot of smirks.

"What?"

* * *

><p>"Ash, are you sure?" Hilda asked, looking at the man.<p>

"Of course. And my name's Shadow." Ash said sternly, looking back at her.

"Whatever. I'm getting tired of that name, plus no one's around." Hilda said, crossing her arms.

"You never know." Ash said, facing back to what he was doing. Currently, his elbow was on a tree stump and his hand was locked with Scrafty's. Ash's hand was currently leaning to the right, Scrafty grinning. Suddenly, Ash's arm bulked up and Scrafty's arm was forced back and down into the stump. "Mine, so that makes fifteen out of seventeen." Ash said, smirking. Scrafty turned its head, walking away. Ash shook his head, looking back at Hilda. "What?" he asked, noticing the strange look he was being given.

"Nothing, I'm just wondering what's wrong with you." she said plainly, turning away.

"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Ash asked.

"Nothing important. From what you told me about your social time, I'm wondering how you turned to this." she responded.

"Why do you want to know? Is this some added bonus to that favor of yours?" Ash asked, arching his eyebrow.

"No, you agreed to not attacking Hilbert with Charizard for a month on your own." she said, smiling.

"I'm sure it didn't happen like that..." Ash shuddered, thinking of their interaction on the subject. "Whatever. I can't help but wonder why, though..." Ash thought out loud, looking in the sky.

"Don't shudder like it was a bad thing." Hilda said, her cheeks slightly pink as she frowned.

"It kind of was."

"What was that!"

"Wah, jeez!"

"Sorry, my fists have slipped a lot lately!"

"Yeah, I get that..." suddenly, he turned his head sharply.

"What?" she asked.

"Did you not hear that?" Ash asked, eying the bushes.

"Apparently not. What was it?" she asked, shaking her head as she turned around.

"...Someone's over there." Ash said.

"And I suppose you'll be the selfless one to just turn around, ignoring them as you go back to pokemon training?" Hilda asked, smirking slyly.

"Hilda," she looked at Zo, who was lying with her head out of the tent, her arms crossed under her chin. Pikachu lied beside her peacefully curled in a ball, taking a nap. "He's gone." Hilda turned around, seeing Ash was no longer there.

"Huh, Didn't see that coming..."

Ash pushed branches out of his way as he sneaked through the brush. As he moved, a voice became more clear as he went."Man...wish...stupid tent...battle..." A feminine voice, Ash decided. It has to be. Her voice sounded soft, so she must be younger. Ash shook his head of these thoughts as he continued, finally stepping into a clearing a little smaller than his campsite. He looked around, only seeing a half-made tent. Ash sighed.

"Man, I try to be considerate and they disappear...Oh, well..." he shrugged his shoulders, grabbing the poles of the tent as he properly positioned them into the ground. He smoothed out the wrinkles on the sides, frowning as he shook his head. "Why am I doing this...What am I becoming...?"

"Hey, who are you?" the feminine voice surprised him, turning around to see the owner. Ash looked for a few moments, then his heart nearly stopped. A few feet from him stood a woman a little under Ash's age, wearing a frilly red skirt and a blue sleeveless top, revealing her curves and amplifying her chest. With a black sweatband around her right wrist, she wore tall blue socks with red, white and black sneakers. She wore a white hat with a red half-pokeball symbol on the front over brown hair down to her backside, with a yellow carrier bag slung over her shoulder. But what Ash first noticed...her eyes. A shining cerulean blue, the sun gleaming in her pupils really got his attention. Seeing the blue eyes, a memory overcame his will and played through his mind.

_"Come on, dear!" a woman said gently, smiling as a boy looked up at her._

_"Mommy, what's going on? We're missing my favorite show!"_ _the boy said, tugging her hand back._

_"I've got it set to tape, dear. But today, we're getting new neighbors moving in next door." she said._

_"New neighbors?" the boy asked, backing away in fright._

_"Honey, don't be worried. My friend, Professor Oak, said they are very nice people. I also heard they have a daughter around your age, so maybe you can be friends." she said gently, rubbing the boy's head._

_"Hey!" he complained, moving from under her hand._

_... ..._

_"Hello, we're the Ketchums. I'm Delia and this is my son, it's nice to meet you." the woman said, smiling as she shook the hands of the two adults._

_"It's nice to meet you too, finally. We've heard so much from Professor Oak." the man said, then crouched to one knee at the boy's height. "And I've heard you want to become a pokemon trainer."_

_"Y...Yeah..." the boy said shyly, starting to inch behind his mother's leg._

_"Don't worry, he's just shy." she said, gently moving the boy out._

_"You know, you and our daughter have a lot in common." the man said, smiling at the boy. "She's about your age and wants to be a pokemon trainer, too. Speaking of which, where is she, dear?" the man turned to his wife._

_"I'm sure she's up organizing her room, you know how she is about being neat." the adults laughed slightly, the boy looking around confused. "I guess we should introduce her. Honey! Honey, come downstairs and meet our new neighbors!" she called._

_"I don't wanna!"_

_"It's too bad, I'm sure your father will work his magic on your room later..." she called enchantingly, smiling as she looked at her husband._

_"Okay, okay, I'm coming! Just don't let Dad near my room!" the adults laughed, hearing footsteps on the roof above. They moved across the room, coming down the stairs as the young girl walked over to join them._

_"Thank you, dear. Now, this is Ms. Ketchum and her son, they live next door." the mother said, patting her back. She stepped forward shyly, holding her hands behind her back._

_"H...Hi." she said quietly, glancing up at the woman._

_"Hello there, you are just adorable." the woman said gently, feeling warm inside as she watched the girl put her hands to her cheeks and turn her head. "Come on, dear, say hello." the woman gently nudged the boy out again. The boy looked o the ground, then glanced up at the girl. She wore a small blue shirt and a red skirt. The boy felt his cheeks turn warm, watching as the girl looked at him. The two looked at each other awkwardly as silence filled the room, the parents watching their child._

_"H...Hi. I'm...Ash."_

_"...Hi, I'm... Leaf."_

Ash stood, frozen as the two final phrases repeated in his head over and over. "Leaf..." he muttered under his breath, just quiet enough for her to not hear.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her hands on her hips as she looked at Ash strangely. Ash felt like talking, but nothing came to his mouth. "Okay, Mr. Silence, if you don't talk soon, I'll-" her eyes drifted off, now noticing her tent in a different, better form. She looked back at him. "...Did you fix my tent?" Ash blinked, snapping out of his condition. He looked back at the tent, then to her.

"Oh, uh...Yeah." he said, mentally cursing himself for sounding stupid.

"Well...do you have a name, or do I call you Mr. Silence?"

"Oh...It's Shadow."

"Shadow? ...Okay, well, I'm Leaf, nice to meet you."

"Same here..."

"You sure don't say much. Well...Thanks for my tent, I guess."

"Oh, no problem..."

"Hey, where did you go!" the two were snapped out of their thoughts as another female voice called out. Ash looked back, sighing quietly as he recognized the voice.

"_Now of all times, huh, Hilda..."_ he thought.

"A friend of yours?" he looked back at Leaf.

"Yeah." he replied, hearing the bushes move across the clearing from them. They looked over to see Hilda, looking back and forth between the two.

"Am I...interrupting something?" she asked, smirking as she watched Ash stand there emotionless, while the brunette's face turned pink.

"W-What? N-No!" she waved her arms defensively. "We were just talking!"

"All right, I believe it." she watched the girl walk toward them curiously. "Besides, I doubt my friend would ever understand the concept of women." Hilda said, giggling as she looked at Ash. He watched her, giving a quiet grunt. "Anyway, my name's Hilda."

"I'm Leaf, nice to meet you." the women shook hands smiling, while Ash watched in confusion, only wondering what Hilda was up to.

"_The_ Leaf from Kanto? Wow, I've heard a lot about you!" Hilda said, smiling.

"Well, that's nice to hear, I'm glad you're a fan." Leaf smiled back.

"Oh, did Shadow do anything weird?" Hilda asked, earning a confused and mad look. "Well, my friend here tends to do weird things. He's not a social guy, you've probably already realized that."

"Yeah, he doesn't seem to say much. But, I guess everyone's different for the better." Leaf said cheerfully, looking over at Ash. He cringed, feeling uneasy as the girl from his past smiled at him. "I'm assuming you're both in the competition, then?"

"Yep, and I'm gonna win it." Hilda said confidently, holding her hands at her hips. That snapped Ash out of it.

"Yeah, right." they looked at Ash. "You can barely beat me, Hilda." Ash smirked.

"That was years ago! I've gotten a lot stronger, and when we battle I'm gonna beat you!" Hilda said competitively, pointing at him. Ash only smirked, his hands in his pockets. Hearing laughing, they looked to see Leaf covering her mouth as she laughed.

"You two sure are competitive. You remind me of someone..." her gaze averted to the ground between them, her eyes becoming unfocused as she became lost in thought. Hilda looked at Ash with a questioning look, but he only stepped toward the brunette. Surprisingly, he put his hand on her shoulder, getting her attention.

"Hey, don't worry." she looked at him. "It always ends okay. I'm sure they were just confused and needed some time to think." Ash said, giving a reassuring look as he took his hand away. He turned, stepping back the way he came. "I'll see you later, Leaf. Nice meeting you." he disappeared through the brush.

"Don't worry about that guy, I've known him for a few years and he somehow becomes less weird as you get to know him." Hilda said, crossing her arms. Leaf, however, was left in thought as she stared at where he disappeared.

"_How did he know...he left...?"_

* * *

><p>"Iris..." Max groaned for the millionth time, everyone sighed in agreement as the girl continued to pace.<p>

"How can I calm down! I'm facing _Shadow_! If that Infernape never even budged in battle, what will his other pokemon be like!" she continued panicking, Dawn throwing a pillow over her head. Her muffled voice came through.

"What?" Misty asked the blunette. She removed the pillow, looking at her.

"I said this is even worse than me when I'm shopping!" everything went silent. All eyes were on Dawn, including Iris as an eery silence took the room. "Well, at least you stopped..."

"I never thought, in a _million_ years you'd say that!" Max nearly shouted, his jaw hanging open.

"Oh, be quiet, kid." the blunette retorted, turning away.

"Shadow..._Shadow_!"

"Damn..."

* * *

><p>"Man, this can't be happening...!" Ash muttered to himself, pacing back and forth in the campsite. Zo was still lying half out, her eyes watching him intently as he paced. Pikachu was now recently awake, rubbing his eyes as he gave a yawn and watched his trainer.<p>

"You still haven't told me what happened." she said, but he ignored her.

"I can't believe this...All these years, we met like that...This must be a dream..." Ash said to himself, almost not knowing Zo was there.

_"Pika._" Pikachu said, putting his paw on Zo's shoulder. "_Pikachu pi, pikapi kachu pi chupi_?"the mouse asked in native tongue. Ash looked down at the mouse.

"I know I should calm down, Pi...But that won't work, not after this...! Meeting this girl makes meeting our old friends look easy, Pi! I take back all complaints I had on the others, I am now complaining about _her_...having to face her...the third round is going to kill me...!" Ash held his head, pacing faster as his heartbeat sped up.

"Ah, so it's a girl...?" Zo asked slyly, smirking as she looked at him.

"Now's not the time, Zo!" Ash replied, beginning to shake his head.

"Fine, but you take the fun out of everything." Zo sighed, then noticed something important. "You know, I would be able to help if you told me who it was..." Ignored. "Hey!"

"Huh?" Ash finally acknowledged her existence, looking over at the girl. "Oh, Zo! Thank Mew you're here!"

"You were just talking to me...but, whatever..."she rolled her eyes, quietly sighing.

"Zo, you've got to help me. I just met someone, the one who made the noise I heard, but it wasn't just anyone, it had to be someone from my past, it had to be someone I knew, it had-"

"Ash!" his attention was drawn again at the name.

"Hey, don't call me that!" he scolded, looking at the girl.

"Well it's apparently the only way left to get your attention and shut you up." Zo retorted, giving a yawn as she lazily retreated into the tent.

"Zo, I'm serious!" Ash said, then noticed the girl come out of the tent.

"Jeez, can't get a nap around here...Now I know how that guy feels..." she gave another yawn, looking at him. "Alright, what is it?" Who did you meet?"

"Zo, it was Leaf."

"..."

"...Zo?"

"...You know, it would help if I knew who Leaf was..."

"Zo, it's _Leaf_."

"...No help."

"I grew up with her! In Pallet Town, when we were kids!"

"Okay, I'm starting to get something..."

"It had to be Leaf...It had to be Leaf...It had to be Leaf...It had to be Leaf..."

"Ash, calm down. All right, start with how you got along with Leaf."

"Zo, we got along perfectly! We were best friends, we almost only had each other..."

"I'm starting to sense a hidden message here..."

"What? Don't push into it, Zo! My past isn't a game!"

"By the sounds of it, I think it should be. Come on, who was she? Sister?"

"No, I'm an only child. I'm leaving." Ash began to walk away, quickly turning into a sprint through the trees back to the plaza. Zo continued to think, then a thought came up.

"Oooh...With this, you are _not_ getting away from me..."

"Oh, man...Oh, jeez...I'm so gonna die from torture..." Ash muttered, rubbing his head as he sighed heavily. He pictured the smiling girl in his mind, replaying their younger meeting in his head. "_Leaf..._"

_"Come on, Ash!" the brunette laughed, smiling brightly as she pulled the boy up the hill._

_"Leaf, slow down! You're gonna rip my arm off!" Ash told her, then felt her stop as they reached the hilltop. He looked, seeing the distant orange sphere slowly disappearing behind a distant field with a single hill. He looked at Leaf, seeing her staring at it with a smile. "Is the sunset entertaining?"_

_"No, silly. It's romantic." she giggled, leaning against the single tree on the hill. She brought one leg up and put her foot against the tree, holding her hands together behind her back. Ash looked at Leaf with a smile, leaning against the tree on his side._

_"You really are a girl, Leaf." she looked at him, seeing him laughing at her._

_"Don't be so mean, you hurt my feelings." she turned away slightly, giving a puppy-dog face as she looked at the ground._

_"Don't worry, I know your cute little fake-sad face now." Ash smiled, laughing again. She frowned._

_"I guess I shouldn't have used it so much around you." she giggled, smiling at the boy. They laughed alongside each other, looking at one another._

_"You know, Leaf...When I become a trainer, I'm gonna be the best." Ash said, smirking._

_"Maybe, but then I'll be a trainer and kick your butt. Being best best friends won't matter." she giggled, smirking back at him._

_"No way, I'm gonna be better than you. You'll be the second best." Ash said, looking back at the sunset. Leaf continued to look at him with a smile, then she moved her head forward, placing her lips on his cheek. Ash was surprised, then smiled. She pulled back, the two smiling at each other._

_"Keep that a promise, Ash." Leaf said sweetly. Ash put his arm around her, smirking._

_"It's a promise, then." he said, looking back at the sunset. Leaf copied his actions, lowering her head on his shoulder as she held onto his arm._

"Leaf..." Ash said to himself, looking back at the trees. "...Should I tell her...? No, I can't...If I tell her, she'll be heartbroken...and kill me..." he gulped, turning around again. He stepped through the hotel doorway, moving toward the main counter.

"It hasn't been that long, has it?" the pink-haired nurse asked, giggling as she looked up from her magazine.

"No, I just have a lot on my mind." he replied, leaning against the counter. "And not the life-path stuff."

"Ah, girl troubles?" Ash suddenly became scared, looking back at her in surprise. "Woman's intuition, we can just sense this kind of stuff. So, what is it? One of those three you gave the room to?"

"No, no." Ash replied, giving a sigh. He looked over toward the battle board. "It's...a girl from when I was a kid."

"Aww, young love...the thought of it..." she put her hands to her cheeks, her eyes becoming sparkly.

"Um...Nurse Joy...?" Ash felt a drop of ironic sweat go down the back of his head, watching the woman go into the world of fantasy. She looked at him.

"Oh, right. Sorry, go on."

"Thanks. Well, we grew up together before I left for my pokemon journey, and she left a year after me. To be honest, we...we kind of...had something..." Ash looked away in shame, sighing in self-pity.

"So this was your first girlfriend, then?" she asked, making the man feel nervous.

"Well, no, not necessarily...We were the best of friends, but...I don't know..." he shifted uncomfortably, not understanding what it was.

"In my opinion, which is probably better than yours in this case, this is a simple case of a forgotten crush. If you held hands and kissed, I'd say first girlfriend. If it was simple friendship, then it was friendship. But, now remembering her, your past feelings for her from your childhood are beginning to resurface." she explained.

"See, I think you would be a better psychologist..." Ash sighed lightly, shaking his head.

"For advice on your problem, I would say to try and contact this girl and simply talk to her. Just try and meet in person and re - Oh, I'm sorry. You're supposed to be Shadow, not...Well, never mind, then." she smiled apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, Nurse Joy. Besides, contacting her wouldn't be so hard..." Ash said, looking toward the door.

"Ah, _now_ it makes sense...I was wondering why you would simply have emotions rise from nowhere. She's here, in the competition, isn't she?" Ash looked at her in surprise. Again. "Thought so. If you still care for her and she's here, you'll want to be careful what you say and do. If she hears the smallest suspicious thing, even you talking to yourself about this, she might get suspicious. Speaking as a woman, you do not want to break a young heart. Besides, if you were the best of friends, I'm sure she still feels something for you inside her heart, no matter how deep." Ash stared at the young woman, thinking everything over. He closed his eyes, turning away.

"Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy. This is definitely the most helpful information you've given me."

"Especially with those other three." he looked back. "The three you gave the room to. I can tell they all think of you as more." she smiled, waving him off. Ash turned again, frowning as he felt a headache from all of this. Suddenly, the doors ahead opened. He looked, surprised to see Hilda and Leaf stepping in. Ash cringed, watching the brunette get closer.

"Hey, Shadow. We were talking about something, but we need a guy's point-of-view." Hilda said, crossing her arms as they stopped in front of him.

"Sure." Ash said simply, taking a glance at Leaf. He noticed her looking at him, then she quickly looked back at Hilda.

"Yo, Shadow!" Ash sighed, looking down a side hall as he noticed the group. Hilbert lead them, arms behind his head as he grinned, walking with the group of his old friends behind him. "Shadow, I needed to ask you something!"

"What?" Ash asked, feeling annoyed with the man.

"Shadow!" Ash mentally cursed himself, feeling like punching himself in the gut to be excused. Everyone looked at the doorway, seeing Zo step in. "Shadow, I think I figured it out!"

"What-" Ash then remembered what they were talking about before he left, mentally cursing and hitting himself even more. "Dammit..."

"You sure are popular, aren't you?" Leaf asked, looking around. She smiled at Ash, who began to feel nervous again.

"You have no idea...Arceus, grant me luck and courage..."

**END**

**A lot seemed to happen in this chap. beastmode953 was right on, Leaf has been introduced! Brendan will come into this, too, the next chapter actually. Things are getting ca-_razy_! I disappoint myself for saying that. So now we know Ash's further past, he and Leaf shared feelings! Wow.**

**Is Zo right in Shadow's problem?  
>What were Leaf and Hilda talking about? What are they asking Ash?<br>Will Ash tell Leaf his identity? Will she overhear something?  
>How will the others react to meeting her? (Note herAsh's past)  
>Will Nurse Joy's advice be useful?<br>With the beginning told, what is the middle of Ash and Leaf's past? The ending?  
>Will Ash bring up Charizard on Hilbert, going back on Hilda?<strong>

**R&R for more! In a way, I'm actually starting to get into this!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Lolz, I'm back already. Pokemon belong to Nintendo and Gamefreak.**

Ash stood frozen, moving his eyes around the circle that had formed around him moments earlier. Mentally cursing himself for what seemed like the millionth time the past week, he looked at Zo. She, however, caught onto this and smirked.

"Ah, so you think my case is the most important?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"I never said anything close, it's not important at all." Ash responded calmly.

"Hey! I will not be blown of like that!" she shouted, glaring at the man. However, she was.

"So what do you want?" Ash asked, facing Hilbert.

"Oh, nothing important, really. I'd rather hear what Zo has to say." he said, glancing at the pokemon, who smiled back innocently.

"Just say it, Hilbert." the raven-haired trainer said sternly, scaring Hilbert a bit.

"Okay, okay. Although...my question's more private, so...later?" Hilbert asked uncomfortably, glancing around.

"...No problem, then." Ash smirked, glancing at Hilda.

"Don't you look at me." Hilda said coldly, glaring at the man much like the pokemon, folding her arms over her chest.

"I was looking because you and Leaf had a question for me, nothing more." Ash replied, feeling uncomfortable as he said 'Leaf'.

"Oh, well..." Hilda felt embarrassed, rubbing her arm. "Well, since you're Shadow, I can't say you're not lying. Anyway...Actually, our case is like Hilbert's..." she said sheepishly, laughing nervously.

"Nice to know. So, I have no reason to stay here, then?" he asked, smirking as he walked past them and toward the door.

"Hey, wait a minute...Who are you?" Ash stopped, hearing Hilbert's rather blunt approach. Presumably on Leaf.

"Hilbert!" he heard Hilda say, then heard a strange sound followed by a grunt of pain. He smiled. "Anyway, ignoring this crybaby...Everyone, this is Leaf. She's a trainer in the tournament, too."

"Hi, Leaf! I'm Dawn!"

"The name's Misty."

"I'm Iris, nice to meet you!"

"I'm Cilan, a pokemon connoisseur."

"I'm Max, another trainer in the competition."

"And this here, is the sad excuse of Hilbert."

"Hello, nice to meet you all." Leaf smiled nervously, giving a wave.

"So, Leaf, how did you meet Shadow, then?" Ash heard Dawn ask, making him sigh quietly.

"Well, he found my camp earlier today and fixed my tent, and then Hilda came in." Leaf said plainly, shrugging her shoulders.

"Huh..." was all Max said. Ash closed his eyes, continuing out the doorway.

* * *

><p>"...I really hope this tournament ends soon...I don't know if I can keep this up..." Ash muttered, stretching his arms into the air as he entered the clearing. Noticing Pikachu by the tent, he half-smiled. "Oh, hey, Pi."<p>

"_Pikachu pika, chupi pi?_"

"No, I'm fine, buddy." Ash smiled weakly, sitting down against a nearby tree. Pikachu walked over to him, looking at him in concern. "Just a little tired, is all. I guess today was more than I could handle." he sighed, closing his eyes as he rested his head back against the bark. But the second he felt impact...

"Shadow!" he cringed, punching the ground beside him. He saw Zo coming out of the trees, smirking. "I knew you'd be here. Sulking, are we?" she inquired, crossing her arms and leaning forward.

"Not now, Zo. I'm not in the mood." Ash responded depressingly, closing his eyes again.

"Oh, no way. After years of staying with you, I've _finally_ found dirt on you!" she smiled victoriously, looking down at the man. Surprisingly, he didn't react at all. "...Shadow...?"

"I told you, Zo. I'm not in the mood." he sighed, giving a stronger depressed vibe. Zo looked at him in genuine concern, sitting beside him.

"...Ash...?" she whispered, leaning forward and looking up at him. He opened one eye, seeing her face. "Is this about Hilbert? Or Hilda?"

"...No..." he muttered, closing his eye.

"Well...Is it Leaf? From what I've thought about before...She was your girlfriend, right?" Zo asked quietly, leaning back again. Ash remained still. "...Ash...You can trust me, you know that. Besides, I'm lying to the others in more ways than one." she laughed quietly, noticing Ash's lips form a smirk.

"...Well, I guess that's true..." she heard him mutter, then he opened his eyes and look at Pikachu. He put his hand on the mouse's head, rubbing behind the ears and earning a happy 'chaa'. "...But, you know, Zo...Everybody's always saying life is full of ups and downs...But, my life seems to be more downs than ups..."

"How is that true?" he looked at her. "You're Ash Ketchum, famous trainer of Pallet Town! You got Pikachu that morning, you earned all badges, entered every regional tournament, caught and trained amazing pokemon, made great friends that care for you, and you're about to beat the Arc Tournament! How is that down?" she asked.

"You say 'great friends' like you know..." he muttered, closing his eyes again. "...What a friend I was, leaving them without so much as a goodbye..."

"That doesn't matter, people do it all the time! Haven't you seen any movies or read any books?" Zo asked, frowning.

"Nope."

"Ugh...Anyway, the main character always leaves his friends for a few years, then returns but doesn't tell them. Usually after a few days, the main person tells them and they have a joyous reunion, living happily ever after!" Zo explained happily.

"I know you, Zo. You left out key details, I can tell." Ash said calmly. Zo sighed.

"All right...So, the main character usually gets slapped, punched, kicked, given the silent treatment, that stuff. But that's not the point!" Zo said, smiling.

"Just drop it, Zo." she looked at him, her smile gone. "I told you I'm not in the mood, I just need some time to think and it'll blow over." Ash told her.

"All right...But the second you're out of the dumps, I'm teasing you on you-know-what!" Zo said happily, punching him in the shoulder.

"Should have known." he sighed, standing up. "I'm going for a walk, I won't be back for a while."

"Remember your battle with Iris is in a few hours." she told him. He nodded, leaving the clearing. Zo sighed, looking at Pikachu as she petted him. "That guy, Pikachu...How have you put up with him for all those years?"

"_Pika kachu..._"

"Well, that helps." Zo rolled her eyes. "Pokemon and trainer alike...Wait a minute..."

* * *

><p><em><strong>With the others, after Ash left...<strong>_

"So, Leaf, you're in the tournament, too?" Max asked, hearing the sliding doors close.

"Yeah." she responded simply.

"Wow, you must be pretty good!" Dawn exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"Well, I guess..." she rubbed her arm, looking away. "Although, I expected someone to be here..."

"Really? Is it a friend of yours?" Max asked. Meanwhile, Hilbert leaned close to Zo.

"I'm going to see Shadow, but if I let you go first, will you promise to tell me later?" he whispered. Zo hesitated for a few seconds, then looked at him.

"I can't promise I'll tell you, or he'll send all his pokemon on me at training." she whispered back, then smiled, confusing the man. "But ladies first." and with that, she sprinted out of the center. Hilbert shook his head.

"Pokemon aren't technically ladies, in my opinion..." he muttered.

"What was that about?" Hilda asked, looking at Hilbert.

"Oh, nothing." he replied simply, looking in the corner of his eye. Hilda frowned, eying the man.

"Hey, Leaf, back to your friend business..."

"Oh, yeah. How'd we get talking about my hat, anyway?" she asked in confusion. Everyone looked at Dawn.

"What? So you just assume things on me now?" she asked defensively, looking around.

"Sort of..." Max replied, adjusting his glasses in the light. The blunette glared at the boy, intimidating him a bit.

"Anyway..." everyone looked back at Leaf. "Well, he was a good friend of mine. I haven't talked to him personally in a few years, though, but I used to see him on TV a lot." Leaf explained.

"He sounds like he was famous." Cilan commented, earning an eye-roll from Iris.

"Well, he was. I grew up with him for a few years, then he got his trainer's license and left on his journey through Kanto." the brunette stated, looking at the ground.

"So you were Kanto trainers too, then?" Max asked quietly, everyone's head filled with thoughts of a raven-haired Pallet trainer.

"Yes. When he left, I was sad naturally...especially since we were the best of friends..." Leaf added, her cheeks turning pink, hoping no one would notice. "But, I haven't heard about him for a few years now."

"Really?" Iris asked.

"Yeah, it's strange. Over the years, I've been to a few competitions, but I haven't heard anything about him." Leaf said sadly, rubbing her arm.

"Well...What was his name, then?" Cilan asked, unsure whether to push the subject or drop it.

"Oh...You've probably heard about him. Ash Ketchum?" Silence, pure silence. Even the nurse glanced up from her magazine in surprise, who had been reluctantly been listening to their conversation. The circle was mixed emotions: two figures in alert and nervousness, six in sadness and depression. "...So, I take it you all knew him, then...?"

"Yeah...We did..." Max responded quietly, slightly pulling down the brim of his hat.

"...So you knew Ash? ...How well?" the blunette asked weakly, trying to keep strong.

"Well...We were the best of friends. Nothing could bring us apart." Leaf responded, her cheeks warming up. "...Back when we were kids, he made a promise to me...He said he would be the best trainer ever, with me second best..." everyone looked at her, feeling various things. "...But, I guess that's not gonna happen now." she said, smiling weakly.

"...I'm sorry, Leaf..." the redhead spoke up, earning her attention. "We kind of pushed the issue without thinking, we're sorry." the redhead told her, giving a sincere frown.

"It's no problem, really." the brunette responded, waving her arms. "It was nice meeting all of you, I think I'm probably gonna go for a walk for a bit." she waved, stepping toward the doorway. The others watched her in silence, the doors closing behind her. The circle was in silence, the nurse frowning as she flipped a page of her magazine. Suddenly, the blunette spoke up.

"...Suddenly, I feel like Ash was _playing_ dumb in romance..."

* * *

><p>"Ash..." Leaf muttered, walking down the path as she held her arms across her chest. She looked in the sky, not a single cloud. "...Where are you...?" she whispered, a fist over her chest. On the bottom of her eye, she noticed a figure. A familiar figure. "Shadow?" he looked over, seeing Leaf. In surprise, he walked over.<p>

"Hey." he said simply.

"Hi. So...What did Zo want to talk about?" the brunette asked.

"Oh, that...It's nothing, really." Ash said, giving a half-smile.

"You know, girls can tell when guys are lying." Leaf said, looking him in the eye. Feeling nervous, he looked away.

"You would not believe how many times I've heard that...Especially with Hilda always annoying me..." he sighed.

"Annoys you? How?" Leaf inquired.

"Saying she'll beat me in a battle, challenging me but only losing horribly. Sometimes it's a real pain, but I get her back." Ash said, smirking.

"How?" she asked, leaning forward a little.

"Teasing her crush. And when Hilbert's around, it's an added bonus." Ash said, chuckling as he put his hands in his pockets. Leaf put her hands over her mouth, giggling. "I'm glad I'm entertaining you."

"Sorry...You just seem like a bad guy, no offense, but you're actually nice and kind of funny..." Leaf ceased laughing, removing her hands and revealing a heart-melting smile. Without realizing, the two began walking down the path.

"Well..." Ash was at a loss of words, looking away to prevent looking like an idiot at the sight of her smile.

"So how does Hilbert annoy you? I assume he gets you back somehow." Ash mentally sighed, glad she changed the subject.

"He doesn't, he's scared of me." Leaf tilted her head in confusion. "You see, my pokemon get bored a lot, and he used to be really annoying...Solved two problems in one action, but it never happens anymore." Ash shrugged.

"Well that sounds mean." Leaf said, smiling playfully.

"But you're smiling, so it must make you feel happy." Ash responded, smirking.

"Well you've got me there, smart guy." she giggled, looking away. "Or maybe it's just spending time with you."

"Pardon?" Ash asked in surprise, looking at her.

"Well...You remind me of someone." Ash felt uneasy. "I used to know this guy, he was really nice and bashful...kind of like you." she giggled again, noticing Ash roll his eyes. "But, we had to separate when he became a trainer. I've never been able to find him since then...But I saw him on TV a lot. A few years ago, he seems to have disappeared completely." Ash nearly tripped, thankful for his quick reflexes. "I can't help it, but...I think about him, all the time, actually." Ash looked at her, noticing her watch the ground in front of her as she walked. "...He was always so nice, so hard-headed and sweet...I'm not ashamed to say I liked him, since we were actually...kind of an item..." Ash noticed her cheeks turn red before her hands covered them. "I feel embarrassed telling you all this...I'm sorry if it's boring..."

"It's no problem at all, I've heard boring stories and this is nothing close." he told her calmly.

"Plus, my friend was the friend of that group of people back at the center. Have you ever heard of Ash Ketchum?" she asked.  
>Ash felt several things: shame, fear, sympathy, sorrow, surprise, pity, regret, even indignation. He only looked at the ground, mentally punching himself before responding.<p>

"...Not personally, but I've seen his accomplishments." he said calmly, feeling like a total jerk for saying that.

"Oh..." was all Leaf responded, making him feel even worse. "...Well, after this competition...if you ever meet him somewhere...Can you tell him something for me?" Ash looked at her, surprised as his own heart felt soft. "...Can you tell him I miss him? I'm always thinking about him over the years, and I really want to see him? It would mean the world, Shadow..." Leaf looked down and away, holding her hand to her chest. Ash stood in shock, looking at the girl slightly shorter than him, nearly crying about his past self.

"...Come on." to Leaf's surprise, even his own, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. She didn't move from shock for a few moments, then snapped out of it and put her hands on his back. "Grief and regret gets you nowhere, only the determination that pushed you forward."

"...And here I was, thinking you were a jerk..." Leaf muttered, smiling as she rested her head under his shoulder. "...I guess I somehow know you better than Hilda now, huh?"

"...Not necessarily, but...in a way..." Ash responded, smiling.

"So are you the unemotional guy in front of them as a show, then?" she asked, giggling.

"...I guess so...I don't know why, I must be taking Hilbert as a son or something..." he laughed quietly, pulling away from Leaf. She looked up, smiling.

"I think you would be a great father, Shadow. Just try not to be so creepy." she giggled again, covering her mouth.

"Thanks for that." Ash rolled his eyes, smiling.

"I guess we should head back now...We kind of traveled without realizing..." Leaf said sheepishly, pointing at the nearby sign that read 'Victory Road'. Ash rubbed the back of his head.

"Huh..." he said, laughing quietly. Leaf gestured to the road, he nodded as they began back down the path toward the League. Once they got back, Leaf decided on returning to her camp but Ash insisted he guided her as a gentleman. Leaf remarked on his manners, to which he responded with a questionable "I never thought about it..." she laughed at. When they got to the clearing, the two stood silent.

"Well..." was all Leaf said, rubbing her arm as she looked away.

"...Uh...I guess I'll...see you later, then...?" he said hesitantly, rubbing his neck as he looked around, avoiding eye contact as she was.

"Yeah...Of course." she finally looked at him, giving a smile. "Thanks for the talk, I guess I needed that."

"No problem, I should be saying thanks just as much." he replied, giving a half-smile. "...So...I guess I'll go, then..." he said uncomfortably, looking at her.

"Yeah...Well, see ya." she said, then suddenly ran inside her tent. Ash stood in surprise, then smiled as he left the campsite.

"_Women...Sometimes fragile, sometimes thick-headed...then there's the balanced..."_ he thought, shaking his head in amusement. Inside of Leaf's tent, she took off her hat and held her head.

"Oh, man...What am I doing...?" she asked herself, moving forward and backward slightly. She put her hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth of her face. "This can't be happening...Am I really...?" she trailed off, not wanting to even finish the thought.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back with May and Brock, who had now finished shopping and returned to their room. Upon entering, they found everyone doing various activities. They looked at each other in surprise. "What's...up...?" May asked hesitantly, not sure if something was wrong or not.<p>

"Nothing." everyone responded at once.

"What happened?" Brock asked, putting the small bags down.

"We met a girl in the competition!"

"Her name was Leaf!"

"Shadow's sad, which makes me sad!"

"_What_? How come they respond to you?" May asked quizzically, looking at the man.

"Experience, I guess." he shrugged.

"Well, anyway, what's this about meeting another competitor?" the brunette asked.

"Oh, that. Well, her name was Leaf and she's a competitor. Plus, she's surprisingly from Pallet Town and knew Ash." Dawn explained calmly, flipping a magazine page.

"I already heard- _What_?" May asked in shock, her mouth slightly agape. Everyone nodded, approving of the news. "What...What! Who exactly _is_ she!"

"She's a great trainer, making it to the second round." Max commented, putting a finger in the air.

"Shut up, nerd! Where is she?" May demanded.

"Well, I heard she was camping near Shadow and Hild-" with that, May was out the door. "Jeez, what's up with her...?"

* * *

><p>May walked down the path, almost in a run. Everyone watching her walking fast in surprise, she continued to the trees and disappeared through them. She noticed a clearing, then saw Ash, Hilda and Hilbert talking. She stopped, thinking, then shrugged and moved in a random direction. After a few minutes of searching, she finally found the neighbour clearing with the single tent. "Excuse me?" May asked, hearing a rustling in the tent. A figure crawled out, standing and noticing May.<p>

"Oh, hello." she greeted. "Are you a part of the group from the center?" May nodded. "Okay, I'm Leaf. Can I do something for you?"

"Well, my friend was telling me about meeting you, then I heard you grew up in Pallet Town." May stated, then noticed the other brunette's expression change.

"So you knew Ash too, then?" May paused, then nodded. "...Seems he really was popular, then." Leaf commented, giving a weak smile.

"...You seem kind of depressed about it..." May said, unsure whether she was right or not. Leaf looked at her and waved her hands.

"No, I'm fine. Well...I was...but I just came back from a walk with Shadow a little while ago, and he told me a few things that really helped." she said, turning her head slightly as the heat returned. May noticed this.

"Shadow?" May asked, Leaf looked at her then nodded. "Really? Huh..."

"Why, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing, I just never knew Shadow as the sensitive guy...or helpful, or nice, or even social..." May listed, surprising Leaf.

"What do you mean? He may act tough, but he's actually really nice and cares about his friends, like Hilbert and Hilda. He really helped me with my thoughts on Ash, too." Leaf stated, holding her cheeks.

"You think he's nice...?" Leaf hesitated in question, then nodded.

"Don't you? Has he not opened to you, then?" Leaf asked, tilting her head in question.

"I take it no one told you about the scene at the pokemon center, a while back?"

**END**

**Stuff's goin' **_**down**_**! I have a stupid school presentation tomorrow, and I **_**haaaaaate taaaalkiiiing!**_** Don't judge, y'all don't know me.**

**What will May tell Leaf? (Kind of obvious, though)  
>How will she react? How will she treat AshShadow?  
>How will Leaf's behavior affect Ash?<br>How will Ash vs. Iris go? Will both be able to focus? (Next chap')  
>When Ash confronts Leaf to apologize, what will be said?<strong>

**R&R, comment! Don't leave me hangin' here, authors want your opinion, too!**


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm updating more than usual, I'm creeping myself out. From about two weeks each, to a day or two. **_**How**_** do you get to that?  
>Anyway, don't own pokemon. Party Rock's boss.<strong>

"Shut up, Shadow!"

"No way, this is too good."

"For years now! You're still won't shut your trap!"

"Apparently not, huh?"

"Hilda, just ignore it. Trust me, guys only find entertainment teasing the ones who continue to deny and upraise the situation."

"..."

"Thank you."

"Since my game's over, I'm out of here." and with that, Ash left the clearing, leaving the two in surprise and confusion.

"...Where would he go...?" Hilda muttered, looking back at Hilbert.

"I dunno, I don't know him any better than you." Hilbert shrugged, crouching in front of the tent. "I'm taking a nap."

"No male-bonding advance between you two?" Hilda asked, the man looked back and shook his head, crawling in the tent. She crossed her arms, sighing. "No one's ever helpful anymore..."

"Man, those two..." Ash shook his head in amusement, smirking as he stepped out of the trees. He entered the pokemon center, continuing toward the battle board. "...Here, PM...6:30..." he muttered, looking at a specific part of the board.

"So, is everything good with your old friend?" a familiar feminine voice asked from behind him. He didn't turn, only closing his eyes.

"Yes, thanks again for the advice. It really helped." he said, putting his hands in his pockets.

"Glad to hear I was of help. Besides, I'm sure someone who's disappeared as long as you have could use social advice every now and then." she giggled, Ash sighed quietly.

"Yeah, I guess that's a good point." he chuckled, turning to face the pink-haired nurse, standing a few feet behind him. "Aren't you working desk?"

"No, Audino are taking over for a while. I decided on taking a walk through the area." she said cheerfully, smiling.

"Unova does have great scenery...Maybe not here, since it's mostly rocky terrain and a forest...But, still." Ash shrugged, smirking.

"Plus we could always use a break." she added. "So, is it too personal to ask who this girl is exactly?"

"...Leaf. Kanto trainer." Ash said simply, the nurse nodding.

"Ah, I remember meeting her when she first came. She was disappointed all the rooms were gone, but seemed even more cheerful about sleeping outside." the nurse said, giving a strange look.

"Trainers don't always get the luxury, so we all have to adapt to the beauty of nature." Ash told her, smiling.

"So, are you and Leaf still friends? Or, are you..."

"Oh, no, no." Ash dismissed it, shaking his head. "We're just friends. I'm not pushing her into something, especially with an identity she just met." he stated, looking away.

"But, once the third round starts...?"

"...I'll have no choice. Facing everyone from my past is my number-one fear right now, and I don't intend to be faced with a warm welcome. But, I've been getting various advice about facing everyone lately, so I think I'll at least avoid _major_ pain." Ash laughed, joined by the nurse.

"Well, sorry to hear the 'pain' part, but I'm sure you'll be fine." she said, giving a wave as she moved toward the doors. Ash watched her leave, smirking.

"Yeah...No way..." he chuckled quietly, copying her movements toward the door. As the doors closed behind him, he looked around and noticed trainers chatting all over. He shook his head in amusement, then noticed a familiar figure emerge from the trees. "Leaf...?" he asked himself, then noticed her head low, her fists at her sides as she walked. He moved toward her. "Hey." she moved past him, completely ignoring and blowing him off. He watched her leave in surprise and confusion, then looked back and noticed another figure. "No wonder..."

"You." May said negatively, emerging from the bushes. She faced him a few feet away, her fists at her side. The two stared each other down, then Ash closed his eyes.

"What's with Leaf? What are you putting in her mind?" he asked.

"The truth." May replied, crossing her arms. "She deserves to know."

"Truth of what?" Ash inquired, opening one eye.

"Of you." his other eye opened. "What have _you_ been putting in her mind? Whatever you told her on your little walk, she thinks you're a nice and caring guy." May spoke, giving him a glare.

"At times, I can't help it." Ash responded, shrugging his shoulders. "To those who deserve it."

"So you don't think she deserved to know of the scene you made at the center a while ago, with us? Talking about Ash the way you did? Did you even _know_ she was his childhood friend?" May asked coldly, tapping her foot. Ash cringed in shock.

"...No..." he muttered, looking back in the direction she disappeared.

"She's going to confirm it with the others, they'll definitely say yes. Face it, Shadow, life isn't a game _you_ can win. Maybe battles, but not life." May smirked, turning.

"You don't understand." she looked back at him. "...Believe it or not, Leaf and I are in the same boat...Growing up with someone, then having to leave like we did..."

"You speak like you know how she feels, jerk." May replied.

"I do know how she feels." May noticed his serious tone. "...I don't expect you of all people to believe it, but I feel the exact same as her. I've spent _years_ thinking of someone, a childhood friend I haven't spoken to in years, and I only feel pathetic about it." Ash said grimly, his fists forming in his pockets.

"Yeah, right." Ash looked up, his eyes dark. "Keep talking, I'm not believing a word of it." May turned again, walking away. "Maybe this is why you only have three friends, I'm surprised you even have that many." May called back, then was surprised as a hand gripped her shoulder. Trying to move, she felt Ash have a firm grip on her. Her shoulder starting to hurt, she looked back and saw Ash looking at her. Surprisingly, his eyes showed sincerity and anger.

"Every word is true, and you know it." he spoke, a dark feeling around him. "I can't say the same about you, though."

"What do you mean?" May asked, glaring up at him.

"You say she deserved to know the truth about me, but you're lying to everyone else. Your friends, mine, even Leaf." Ash told her, his attitude altered almost completely dark. "You say you miss your friend, but what if he came back?"

"I'd be glad, because I have a human heart!" she snapped back.

"Not honestly." she looked in confusion. "You say you'll be glad, everyone would be, a happy little reunion."

"Of course, we're still friends!" May snapped again.

"But you'd be angry. We both know very well that after returning for years, you wouldn't just hug him and be glad. You'd be mad, hitting and nearly killing him then breaking down into tears." Ash told her, not letting her budge one bit.

"Of course, it's natural! We wouldn't kill him, but he would deserve it!" she said angrily, then looked at the ground. "Leaving for years, you can't imagine the impact that left us..."

"Though I can't, I can only feel sorry for you." May looked at him in surprise. "No one disappears forever, they always come back. And if you really think you understand this whole concept, answer me this."

"What?" she glared at him.

"If he suddenly returned out of nowhere, and his personality altered completely...would you still be friends with him?" May stared for a few moments, then nodded. "...So sad." he said simply, letting her go and turning.

"What! What's so sad about that!" she snapped, watching him walk away from her. He stopped a few feet away.

"...It's sad how naive you can be, not thinking about your own answers." May tilted her head slightly in confusion, watching him intently. "You'll be more than happy when your friend comes back, but you don't like me."

"Of course not! You're insane, a jerk and insensitive! My friend was nothing like you, I can't stand someone like you!" Ash turned his head back, grinning at her. She was confused, but she had inadvertently said the phrase he'd been waiting for the entire conversation.

"But what if your friend returns, and he's like me?" May's eyes widened in realization. He had this planned. He was stalling the conversation until she had said that phrase, so he could use it against her! She gritted her teeth in frustration, looking at him, who only grinned back. "That's what I thought. No one stays the same forever, so you should brace yourself for when your friend returns. Because when he does, I have a feeling he's going to be the complete opposite of what he uesd to be." Ash said simply, closing his eyes as he turned away again. As she watched him walk away, May continued gritting her teeth angrily as she felt defeated. He beat her with her own words.

"She really has laid off it since I left..." Ash muttered, his grin still visible as he headed toward the stadium. He held up his wrist, powering on the device which now read in big letters 6:25. He lowered his wrist, continuing through the stadium doorway. "Look out, Iris...I've got a special team for you..." Once at his correct battlefield, he stopped beside the ref.

"A little early, just in case?" the man asked, Ash nodded. "No use being careless now, you could get kicked out without a judgmental reason." the ref told him.

"You can say that again." Ash smirked, then noticed someone in particular at the back of the crowd already forming. "Sorry, I...Just a sec." Ash told the man, walking toward the crowd. Moving through the crowd, he arrived at the back, face-to-face with Leaf. She stood with her arms crossed, looking to the side. "Still ignoring me?" no response. "...I get it, you're mad."

"Not just that." surprisingly, she looked at him. "I'm disappointed and insulted. Do you not think you could trust telling me you had an explosive moment? Is our friendship not good enough yet?" she asked.

"No, it's not that." she waited for an answer. "...It's just...We all make mistakes, things we regret. The best is to move on from it and face the future."

"I would move on if I knew what it was." Leaf responded.

"...All right, you got me there. Now that you know, can we just put that past us? I'm not exactly proud of it, I'm a personal guy." Ash said, smirking. Leaf stared at him for a few moments, then Ash noticed the corner of her mouth perk up.

"...One thing first." Ash nodded. "...Why did you talk bad about Ash to them, then talk to me like you thought he was nice? Was it a personal gain in the competition, getting close to your opponents?" Leaf asked. Ash sighed quietly, smirking.

"Understandable...I guess hearing about Ash from them, how he's so great...it reset a memory." Ash told her, looking away.

"Memory?"

"Yeah...Something a few years ago. It's not important now, but it's close to what happened at the center. As for you...You're actually one of the only friends I've made in years." Leaf looked surprised.

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah...Hilda and Hilbert I met years ago, Zo I knew from before, and then there's this tournament. This is the most social event I've partaken in for a long time, and I honestly think we're alike. The others are still grieving about Ash, in their way, and I don't think I can relate to them or I'm even close...Then you miss Ash, but don't show it. Overcoming your emotions, you still live freely." Ash stated, earning a strange look from Leaf. He noticed, giving a nervous cough. "...Ahem, dismissing emotions is a good thing. Anyway, I've got a battle...When my opponent gets here..." Ash sighed quietly, looking around but finding no purple hair.

"Hey...Shadow?" he looked back at the brunette. "...I've heard from May that you thought they were weak for missing Ash. Why don't you think I'm pathetic for doing the same thing?" Ash paused, then smirked as he closed his eyes.

"...To be honest, I'm clueless myself." Leaf rolled her eyes, smiling. "But, I can tell you that you are different than them." he told her, looking around again. This time, noticing a panting group of people with the familiar purple-haired girl.

"Different?" Leaf inquired, watching his face curiously, waiting for an answer. He looked back giving a brief smile.

"_I'm gonna regret this, but...all or nothing..."_ Ash took a quiet breath, then said it. The thing he thought would ruin his social life, but help his friend.

"...Ash Ketchum is in this tournament. He's been right in front of you the whole time."

Leaf watched in surprise, amazement and shock as he turned around and returned to the trainer's place on the field. She stood, frozen from the phrase. "He's...here...?"

"This will be a four-on-four battle! The styles will be double battles!" the two trainers stood, facing each other. One feeling nothing, standing emotionless, while the other one was slightly trembling, feeling nervous. "Begin!" the girl shook her head, grinning.

"I'm not losing to you, Shadow! Let's go!" she called, tossing the two pokeballs in the air. The blue lights struck the field, forming two smaller figures. Ash the lights cut off, one was a black mole with metal blade/plates acting as a overhead cover and claws. The other was a small black and white mouse-like creature with a large tail and ears.

"Iris." she looked, seeing the man with no emotion standing with two pokeballs in hand. "I've heard you're an impressive trainer, specializing in dragon-types." he called, looking down the field with a grin. "I chose specific pokemon for our battle. You might recognize them, and certainly don't underestimate them." with that, he tossed the pokeballs into the air. The brilliant flashes crashed down, forming large opponents. One was a large land-shark with single-talon claws and sharp teeth, a deep blue color with a red and yellow underbelly. The other stood slightly shorter, a large blue crocodile with sharp teeth. The two larger pokemon stared down the smaller pair, who returned the stares. "Ladies first." Iris hesitated, then shook her head.

"Emolga, Thunderbolt on Feraligatr!" she commanded, the small electric-type taking flight. Once in the air, it released a stream of electricity toward the water-type. Suddenly, the bolt stopped inches away. The crowd and Iris gasped as they saw Feraligatr hadn't moved, but the large dragon extended its arm, its claw catching and deflecting the bolt. "Excadrill, Dig!" the mole pokemon clawed at the ground, quickly disappearing beneath the field.

"Feraligatr, stomp the field." Ash said plainly, confusing everyone. The Johto starter began pounding its feet on the field, not having any affect as Emolga was in the air, and Excadrill was underground.

"He must have some plan..." Iris muttered, then noticed Excadrill resurface. It had burst out inches away from beneath the dragon, just missing it as it retreated to its side. "So he was throwing Excadrill off aim...! Emolga, use Attract and Excadrill, Focus Blast!" she commanded, the two pokemon obeying. Still mid-air, the small pokemon winked, releasing multiple hearts toward the opponents. Excadrill on the ground, released a pulsing blue sphere of fighting energy and threw it toward the opposing titans. As the attacks drew near, the crowd began whispering and muttering about Ash. He stood emotionless, smirking with his head low.

"Use the Focus Blast for cover, then Garchomp get in close with Dragon Claw." the pokemon grinned, their claws glowing. Feraligatr stepped up, avoiding the hearts and bringing its claw up, slashing the sphere into a layer of smoke. Everyone watched the field, waiting for action. In the smoke, Garchomp sped across the field and stopped in front of the mole. it brought its claw back, uppercutting the pokemon in the jaw, sending it into the air and crashing down at its trainer's feet.

"Excadrill!" she called in fear, watching her pokemon get up weakly. She noticed the smoke still layering the field, then Emolga appeared above the smoke. "That's it! Excadrill, defend and Emolga, use Discharge!" the mole retreated into its slumber position, its claws over its head with its feet together, while the electric-type continued flying around the field. As it went, it released electricity downward over the entire field. Suddenly, surprising everyone, the smoke instantly cleared, revealing the crocodile spinning on its back, releasing a stream of water. It jumped and landed on its feet, grinning. "Wait where's...!" Iris realized the dragon was missing. It had been on the field, but jumped into the air the exact second before the smoke cleared. Now, it hovered a few feet from Emolga, surprising the smaller pokemon. "Get away!"

"Bring it down." the dragon drew back its glowing claw, striking it on the smaller creature, sending it crashing to the ground.

"Emolga, get up!" the pokemon struggled to its feet, while Excadrill came out from its claws. "All right, you two! Electric Metal Claw!" the crowd began muttering in question, but it was soon answered. Emolga grabbed onto the mole's back, while it's claws glowed a dark silver. The flying/electric-type released volts of electricity, immediately fusing with the Metal Claw. They ran across the field at a high speed, the smaller pokemon holding on tightly to the mole.

"Not bad...Feraligatr." the water-type stepped forward, shaking the field slightly as it grinned at the oncoming opponents. The mole cried out angrily, drawing its claws back as it jumped, coming down on the crocodile. As they drew closer, Feraligatr simply put up its arms, crossing its claws as the opponent brought down its claws, making contact. Sparks flew as the mole struggled to push back the water-type, who only grinned at the smaller ones. "Brick Break." Iris was confused, then remembered. Too late, however, as she looked up and saw the dragon coming down from the air on the mole with its arm drawn back. The electric-type looked up, surprised as it jumped out of the way, gliding to safety. Excadrill wasn't as lucky, however, as the attack immediately sent it crashing into the ground painfully.

"Emolga, Hidden Power!" the small pokemon formed multiple green spheres between its palms, releasing them toward the dragon.

"Feraligatr, Dragon Claw." the crocodile jumped up from behind the dragon, surprising the small pokemon as it didn't have enough time to avoid the claw being brought down. Upon impact, the small pokemon was sent darting down into the dirt, releasing a thin layer of dust.

"Emolga! Excadrill!" Iris called out, standing in fear as she watched her pokemon brutally beat down. The ref looked at the two pokemon, raising his left flag.

"Emolga and Excadrill are-" everyone looked, amazed as the mole began to move. Weakly, it got to its feet, moving back to its side on the field. "...er...Emolga is unable to battle!" the ref called. Iris held up her pokeball sadly, returning the small pokemon back. She put the ball away, pulling another one.

"Those two are in complete sync...not to mention powerful...But that's not gonna stop me!" she shouted determinedly, tossing the pokeball and releasing the flash of light. Like her opponents, it formed a large blue winged figure with a yellow underbelly and red head. Its large, sharp claws were evident as it extended its arms to the side, giving an intimidating battle cry. The crowd shuddered, surprised at the dragon, while Ash and his pokemon watched it emotionless. "Excadrill, are you sure you want to keep going?" the mole looked back, grinning with a single nod. Iris smiled. "Excadrill...All right! Both of you, Focus Blast!" they both drew their arms back, forming a blue sphere as they threw them toward their opponents.

"Break it into cover." the pokemon's claws glowed, striking upward on the spheres and turning them into a smokescreen like earlier.

"Won't work this time! Excadrill, Dig! Druddigon, Draco Meteor!" Iris grinned, watching the mole burrow underground just outside the smoke. Her large dragon disappeared in the smoke, but she could see the faint orange glow. Suddenly, the glowing got brighter just before it shot into the air, bursting out of the smokescreen as a sphere. Once reaching just above the smoke, it exploded, releasing multiple orange rays of dragon power down onto the field. Everyone watched as they disappeared in the smoke, hearing several crashed afterwards. Waiting impatiently for signs of results, everyone waited for the smoke to clear. "He had Feraligatr clear the smoke last time...I can't let him attack first! Druddigon, Focus Blast!" the dragon formed the sphere again, launching it straight down the field. The power from the sphere split the smoke, revealing the field to be...empty! Everyone minus Ash and the ref gasped, amazed as the pokemon were gone. Iris tried to think of something, then saw her answer. "Those holes...They aren't Excadrill's! Druddigon, stay away from the holes! Excadrill, get out of there!" she shouted desperately, but she was a second too late. Druddigon looked questionably at her trainer, then suddenly powerful streams of water burst from every hole. Druddigon looked around in surprise, avoiding the powerful water attacks. A figure burst from the water, falling to Iris's side. "Excadrill!" she crouched down, holding up the head of the knocked-out mole.

"Excadrill is unable to battle!" the ref announced, raising his flag. Garchomp and Feraligatr emerged from a hole on Ash's side, grinning.

"Thank you so much, Excadrill. Take a rest." the mole nodded, feeling itself disappear into the red light as it retreated into the pokeball. Iris put it away, gritting her teeth as she pulled another pokeball. She held it to her face, putting her lips on it for a second before moving it back to look at it. "I need you, old friend...Go!" she shouted, tossing the pokeball. The light formed a tall green lizard-like creature, with sharp claws and a long tail. On its head, both sides had a sharp blade. It gave a loud battle cry, rivaling Druddigon's, also making the crowd shudder. Ash stood unfazed, smirking at the once-familiar dragon.

"You've really grown up, Axew..." he muttered, closing his eyes and picturing the once small green, carefree tusk pokemon. Opening his eyes, he grinned. "The real battle starts now, guys!" the pokemon nodded, getting in a defensive stance as their grins remained.

* * *

><p>"Wow...He's really getting into this..." Hilda said in amazement, watching Ash grin on the field.<p>

"I'd say, I've never seen him this excited." Hilbert said in surprise, putting his hands behind his head. Beside them, the other group was in a similar conversation.

"Man, Shadow's really fired up..." Max commented, amazed at the emotionless man, now smiling on the field.

"Do you think facing dragon-type trainers triggers something?" Dawn asked, looking at the man with her eyes sparkling.

"Dawn..." Max sighed, shaking his head.

"Come on, Iris! You've got this!" May called out loudly, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Let's go, Shadow!" everyone sweat-dropped, looking at the blunette. Nearby, a brunette was in thought as she watched the battle, having moved a little closer from the back of the crowd.

"_He's really into battling..."_ she thought, looking at the man grinning on the field. "_It can't be...can it...?"_

* * *

><p>"Druddigon, Focus Blast!" Iris commanded, watching the familiar blue sphere launch across the field.<p>

"Dodge it." surprisingly, the two only sidestepped and avoided the attack.

"What's he up to...? Let's show them power, Haxorus! Dragon Rage!" she grinned, the dragon-type opening its mouth to reveal a blue-glowing mouth.

"This won't be good. Feraligatr, Hydro Pump and Garchomp, Dragon Pulse." Ash said plainly. The two pokemon charged their attacks, releasing their power at the same moment the opponent dragon had. The attacks collided, the powers forcefully pushing for dominance. "Feraligatr, in the left hole." the crocodile obediently jumped in.

"Watch out, guys! He's trying a sneak attack!" Iris told them, the two pokemon becoming cautious as they looked at the holes around them.

"Garchomp, Dragon Pulse." the dragon opened its mouth, forming an azure-colored sphere of dragon power, firing it toward the dragons.

"Dodge it!" the dragons moved to the side, avoiding it.

"Keep up the Dragon Pulse. Move them over." Ash told the dragon, who obeyed without question.

"'Move them'...?" Iris wondered, trying to figure out what he was thinking. Ash only stood there, watching his pokemon fire multiple attacks toward the opponents. Garchomp fired to the right, the dragons instinctively moving to the left to dodge. "Hold on...! Guys, stop!"

"Don't let up." the attacks kept coming, but the dragons wanted to obey their trainer. They began ducking, solving both problems. "Rapid fire. Keep them moving." the dragon drew its breath, then began firing the spheres faster, as if a machine gun. The opposing dragons found it difficult to stay still and dodge, then Haxorus moved back to the right. Unfortunately, Druddigon continued moving left.

"Druddigon, get away!" Iris called out, the dragon looked at her in question as the spheres stopped.

"Dragon Claw." everyone looked expectantly at Garchomp, but it remained by Ash's side. The crowd began muttering about his strategy. To everyone minus Ash/Garchomp's surprise, Feraligatr suddenly jumped from the hole nearest Druddigon, its claws glowing. It swung back, slashing its claws across Druddigon's head, sending it stumbling back. "Hydro Pump." the water-type opened its mouth, firing a forceful and powerful stream of water at the dragon's chest, sending it stumbling back more. "Brick Break."

"That's...!" Iris looked up, seeing exactly as she thought. As with Excadrill, she saw Garchomp coming down toward the ground, its arm drew back. It began moving its arm downward, but felt pain in its side. It looked over, seeing Haxorus firing a powerful blue ray into its side. Garchomp bared its teeth, catching wind back into the air, heading toward Haxorus. "Haxorus, Dragon Pulse barrage!" the green pokemon began firing multiple spheres at the airborne enemy, all being evaded by the aerial maneuvers.

"Feraligatr, Ice Beam." Iris gasped, she forgot about Druddigon! Looking back over, she felt terrible as the crocodile launched a chilling white ray at the dragon's chest, sending it backwards, falling on its back.

"Druddigon, get up!" she called out, watching the pokemon get weakly to its feet.

"Feraligatr, finishing Ice Beam." Ash commanded, extending his arm out. The crocodile opened it mouth, firing a chilling attack at the dragon. It came in contact, instantly freezing te unsuspecting dragon-type. "Dragon Claw." the water-type charged forward, slashing the ice apart in a single swipe. The dragon fell on its back, its eyes replaced with swirls.

"Druddigon is unable to battle!" the ref announced, causing a chatting wave in the crowd. Iris recalled the dragon, thanking it for a good job before putting it away.

"It's up to you, Haxorus! We can't lose!" the dragon called out in agreement, watching the opposing dragon-type avoid its attacks in the air.

"That's the spirit, Iris..." Ash muttered, smirking. "Garchomp, Dragon Pulse." the airborne dragon fired the familiar sphere.

"Counter with Dragon Rage!" the blue ray struck the sphere, slowly pushing it back.

"Perfect. While it's focused, Dragon Claw." Ash's pokemon spent years training with him, they always knew exactly who he was talking to. Garchomp remained hovering while Feraligatr dashed at the green dragon, its arm brought back.

"Haxorus, break off and counter with Dragon Claw!" Iris commanded. The dragon stopped the attack, facing the oncoming water-type as its own claws glowed. Bring its claws back, it swung forward and clashed with the Johto starter.

"Feraligatr, Ice Beam." the water-type fired the chilled attack, freezing their claws together.

"He must have a plan, but I can't let him win...! Haxorus, Dragon Rage on Feraligatr!" the dragon-type opened its mouth, charging the powerful attack for the water-type at close range.

"Garchomp, Brick Break." to everyone's amazement, the dragon-type quickly flew down, bring its wing through the ice, breaking it into two. The two pokemon forcefully opened their claws, breaking free from the ice. "Feraligatr, Hydro Pump. Garchomp, followup Dragon Pulse." the crocodile noticed the dragon on the verge of attacking, so it immediately fired the water attack, just as the dragon-type attack was devastatingly released. They collided at close range, Feraligatr got down on all fours as the attack began pushing back, the attacks soaring over its head. Haxorus glared at the water-type, then heard wind as it looked up, seeing the dragon-type attack coming at it. It brought its arms up, covering its eyes as the attack struck the ground beneath it, causing a mini explosion, flipping the dragon.

"Haxorus, get up, please! Use Dragon Rage on Feraligatr!" Iris shouted, the dragon-type charging the attack again.

"All right, let's end this, guys. Feraligatr, Ice Beam." the frozen attack struck the dragon, but it didn't budge as the lower-half of its body was frozen to the ground. It fired the ray, Feraligatr dodging it by going on all fours again barely. "Garchomp, finishing Dragon Rush." the pokemon did a mid-air back flip, its body becoming enveloped in an energy barrier of blue as it charged for the dragon.

"Change-up, attack Garchomp!" Iris commanded, the dragon turning its head and firing the attack. The dragon and the dragon-type move collided, pushing for dominance over the other and victory. "They're matched!"

"Now." Ash muttered, smirking. "I didn't want to have to do this...Dragon Pulse." the dragon formed the sphere within the power barrier, still forcing back the attack. Garchomp looked at its trainer, who gave a single nod. Garchomp nodded and grinned, opening its mouth. From the barrier, no one outside could see that Garchomp had eaten the sphere. It felt a renewed power inside it, opening its mouth again and giving a frightening battle cry as it maximized its power, the barrier growing brighter as it pushed through the Dragon Rage.

"What!" Iris exclaimed, watching Garchomp push through toward Haxorus. The dragon watched in surprise as its attack was destroyed, feeling Garchomp force its empowered head into its chest. "No! Haxorus!" As a loud pop was heard, Haxorus suddenly soared backwards into the wall, releasing dust and debris.

"Garchomp, Feraligatr..." Ash called, the two returning to his side. Once the barrier was cut off, everyone noticed something different about Garchomp. Its eyes were a brighter blue as its claws glowed light blue, some power streaming off of it as a sort of flame illusion. Along with that, the two jet engine-like objects on its head were glowing the same light blue, energy leaking off it as well.

* * *

><p>"Wait, that looks familiar...!" Dawn exclaimed, pointing at the dragon.<p>

"Yeah, Dawn, it does. Do you think...he uses Ash's strategies?" Brock asked, looking at the trainer on the field.

"I don't know..." Dawn said honestly, unsure of what to say.

"He must know he's not strong." everyone looked surprisingly at May. "He has to use a real trainer's strategies, instead of thinking up his own." she stated, smirking.

"Man, May...You really hate the guy, huh?" Max asked, feeling frightened.

"Of course I do! I can't stand him!" she shouted, showing her fists. Max shuddered, looking away. Nearby, another brunette was still in thought as she looked at the battling trainer.

"_It has to be..._" she thought, feeling her lips move back together, curling upwards in the corner.

* * *

><p>On the field, the smoke began to clear revealing the dragon on the ground. The ref was about to raise his flag, then the dragon forced its claws into the ground. It weakly pushed, struggling to its feet. "Haxorus..." Iris muttered, moving a hand to her chest as she watched the dragon move back toward her.<p>

"Iris, I must say I'm impressed." she looked surprisingly across the field, seeing Ash stand there, still emotionless. But he was looking at her, smirking. "I can't remember a trainer that's put in as much determination as you are now. Unfortunately, I have to say there is no use continuing. Haxorus is worn out and all four of my pokemon remain, it would be the right thing to do." Iris looked at Haxorus, who was panting and staring down the two opponents, who grinned back. Iris stared at her dragon, then nodded.

"Haxorus...Stop." the dragon looked back , surprised at its trainer. "He's right, there's no way we can beat him now. I don't want to see you get hurt anymore, Haxorus." she dashed forward, hugging the large dragon. The dragon looked down in surprise, watching its trainer hold back tears in its gut.

"Iris has forfeit the match! Therefore, Shadow is the winner!" the ref announced, raising his flags as the crowd began cheering. Iris pulled back from Haxorus, then it suddenly fell to one knee.

"Haxorus, take it easy." she told it, rubbing its arm. The dragon nodded, holding itself up.

"Hey, good match." they looked over, seeing Ash with his hand out, smirking. Iris looked at him, then smiled.

"Is that the closest you get to smiling?" Iris asked, shaking his hand.

"Sometimes." Ash replied, chuckling joined by Iris. Haxorus looked behind Ash and saw the crocodile and dragon, looking at it. The two teams looked at each other, then the two smirked with their trainer. "I must say, your Haxorus is very impressive. I haven't seen a single pokemon have that much fight in them for years." Ash said, looking at the dragon, who smiled, embarrassed.

"Thank you, your pokemon are so powerful, though." Iris looked admiringly at the two behind Ash, who looked away in embarrassment. "How do you train them so well, Shadow?"

"Travel the world, different spots with different terrains and weathers. It really helps." Ash told her.

"Thanks, I'll have to try that sometime." she smiled again, pulling a pokeball. "Take a rest, Haxorus. You deserve it." the dragon disappeared in the red light.

"You too, guys. Rest up." Ash said, holding the two pokeballs and returning his pokemon.

"Thanks for the best battle, Shadow. I'll never forget it." Iris said cheerfully, smiling brightly.

"You too. One of the best battles with a dragon-type master." he smirked, seeing her cheeks turn red.

"Ah, I'm not really a master..." she said embarrassed, rubbing the back of her head. Ash chuckled.

"Sure you are, you read the hearts of your dragon-types perfectly. You had good strategies with them, along with power and maneuverability." Ash told her, making her go redder.

"Come on, you're embarrassing me..." she said sheepishly, looking away.

"Thanks again, Iris. I gotta go, but see you around." Ash said, giving a wave as he started for the exit.

"Bye, Shadow! Let's battle again someday, for sure!" he gave a wave back, continuing out of the arena. He kept going, not wanting to meet with anyone else, returning to the campsite. He tossed his backpack in the tent.

"Ow! What the heck!" Ash nearly jumped, looking in the tent and seeing Zo rubbing her head, angrily glaring at him. Pikachu was beside her, yawning.

"Oh, sorry, Zo. Forgot you were there." he said, rubbing his neck.

"Whatever, you're just a jerk." she mumbled, resting her head against the ground again.

"As long as you don't talk about-"

"Hey." Ash flinched, surprised at the sound of the voice.

"Perfect timing..." he muttered, turning to face the girl who had sneaked up on him. Surprisingly, he felt himself be moved backward. he looked down, feeling brown hair tickle his nose as she hugged him tightly. "Leaf?" he asked, unsure if she was mad, sad, or glad. For whatever emotion, he was still partly confused. However, one muffled word into his chest answered that.

"Ash..."

**END**

**There, I think that's my longest chapter of all. Can't complain it's short now, or I'll break my fingers making a longer one!  
><strong>

**Leaf knows! Zo's mad! Everyone else is at the arena! R&R, your opinion counts!**


	20. Chapter 20

**And again, here we are at another chapter of this story. For the advanceshippers who read this, seeing the original description and main characters, I'm sorry. I don't think it will end in AshxMay, but I'm not certain. At this point, I could really ship Ash with anyone. Your opinion could help, who knows, depends if I know how you think.**

**Don't own Pokemon, GameFreak and Nintendo are the lucky corporate bastards.**

Ash stood perfectly still, looking down at the brunette tightly hugging him. For the first time in years, he didn't know how to react. Return the hug? Push her away negatively? Remain frozen? He had never been in this kind of situation recently, so he didn't know what to do. He only looked down at her, unable to resist letting out a smile. "Leaf..." she pulled away, looking up at him with tears forming. Her eyes glistened in the sun, captivating the young man. Suddenly, her hand clapped against his cheek as he watched in surprise.

"That's for never trying to contact me." Ash smirked, shaking his head slightly. Suddenly, the same act played again as he brought his hand to his other cheek. "That's for disappearing without telling anyone." he didn't smirk this time, feeling slightly scared of her slapping him again. However, he was surprised as she smiled. "But, I guess I can't slap you for telling me first..." Ash smirked, giving a single nod.

"Leaf...I'm sorry..." she put her arms around him again, shaking her head into his chest. He felt warm inside, after a few seconds putting his arms around her.

"What matters is you're here, and you're not lying..." he heard her speak into his chest.

"Yeah...I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but you remember when we were young. You used to hit me when I lied." he chuckled quietly, smiling. He heard her giggle quietly.

"I don't like lies..." she giggled, pulling back and smiling at him. "But, why did you only tell me?" Ash hesitated, looking into the sky.

"I don't know..." she gave him a questioning look. "Honestly, I don't know..." she shook her head, smiling as she giggled. "What?"

"You really haven't changed, still clueless." she laughed.

"That's nice to say to your friend who came back after five years." Ash replied, crossing his arms, looking offended.

"Yeah, but if you really haven't changed, you still won't get mad at me." she tilted her head, giving a bright smile. Ash couldn't resist smiling, looking away to avoid looking like an idiot.

"Maybe so..." Leaf only laughed more, making Ash feel warm inside. It had been years since he heard that laugh... "So, I suppose you'll be telling the others?"

"What? No way." Ash looked at her in surprise. "I respect your privacy, and I can tell this is a situation between you and them. You'll tell them at your own pace, like you did with me." Ash stared at her, then closed his eyes and smirked.

"You were always the smarter one." Ash told her.

"Under Gary." Leaf added.

"Ah, right." Ash said, scratching the back of his head. Leaf giggled again.

"Even after all these years, you're still the same guy I knew." she moved closer to him, smiling. Ash felt nervous, wondering what she was up to with moving closer to him. "Still the same guy I care about." Ash only smirked.

"Didn't I tell you to move on from the past?" Ash asked her, Leaf only smiled back.

"I don't remember hearing that. Besides, some feelings are stronger than others." she said sweetly, moving closer to him again.

"Excuse me," the two were surprised, hearing the new voice. Ash sighed, remembering they weren't alone. The two looked in the tent, seeing Zo's face. "I know this is supposed to be a happy reunion between you two, being ex's and all, but can you try somewhere your friend isn't trying to sleep?" Leaf's face turned red, realizing she had heard everything. Ash stood there, looking mad at Zo. "Don't look at me like that, you know I'm tired. Since you won't giv me any action around here, I'm on a second vacation." Leaf's face turned redder, looking at Ash in surprise.

"Action?" Leaf asked ridiculously, Ash took a second to register what she thought.

"No, no! She doesn't mean anything like that! I'll tell you later." Ash sighed, glaring at the pokemon again.

"If you let me battle, this would never have happened." Zo told him, giving a sigh as she closed her eyes, resting again. Ash only shook his head.

"So, Ash...Do you want to go somewhere else?" the brunette asked, poking her fingertips together and looking away. Ash looked at her nervousness in amusement, taking her wrist and guiding her through the trees. Zo opened one eye, watching them leave.

"Pfft, acting like an idiot for years...What an act..." Zo said, rolling her eyes and smiling in amusement. She looked over, seeing the mouse adjusting beside her.

"_Kachu pi, pikachu?_"

"No, I'm being serious. It's seriously a surprise." Zo told the electric-type. "I have to wonder what Leaf saw in him, though..."

* * *

><p>"So, Ash, where are we going?" Leaf whispered, feeling herself be pulled into the clearing.<p>

"Nowhere in particular, but we'll have to avoid the others, if you don't mind." Ash told her, moving her toward the electronic doors they stepped through each day.

"All right, Shadow." Leaf told him, noticing other people around the area. Ash let go of her wrist, moving through the doorway with the brunette beside him. He put his hands in his pockets, moving toward the familiar board. "Forget your battle?"

"No, I just had one, remember? I'm checking so I know." Ash told her, scanning the list of names.

"Ah, I guess I should too..." she said sheepishly, looking at the board beside him. After a few moments, the two had found their names. "I'm at 8 tonight."

"I'm at 8 in the morning tomorrow." Ash stated, then noticed another pair of names that sparked his interest. "It's right now..." Ash muttered, moving away from the board.

"Hey, Shadow, where are you going?" Leaf asked, following close by him.

"There's a battle right now I want to see, I can still make the end of it if I hurry." Ash told her, moving faster toward the doorway.

"Man!" she sighed, copying his pace. Once outside, Ash nearly bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry." Ash apologized, then recognized the cheerful woman.

"Off in a hurry, I guess you're late for a battle." the pink-haired woman giggled, smiling.

"Sorry, Nurse Joy, I have to get to a battle. I'll be back after it's done." Ash said, giving a short and quick bow.

"Don't let me interrupt, go right ahead." she said cheerfully, holding her hands together in front. Ash nodded, hurrying off toward the stadium. Only then she noticed the brunette, who had been behind Ash.

"Hi, Nurse Joy." Leaf greeted, seeing the woman.

"Hello, Leaf. I didn't know you were there." Nurse Joy said, giving a wave.

"Well, I was trying to catch up with him...but that's not happening..." Leaf sighed.

"Yeah, he is quite energetic when he wants to be." the nurse agreed, giggling.

"So, Nurse Joy, you know him well?" the brunette asked.

"Yes, we have a conversation or two every day. He usually comes for advice without knowing, but we do have friendly talks, too." the nurse explained. Leaf nodded.

"So..." she glanced around, seeing no one close-by. "Signing him up, you know who he is, then?"

"He finally told someone?" she nodded. "Well, I guess being childhood friends and all...and closer..." the nurse put her hands to her cheeks, her eyes turning sparkly.

"Uh...Nurse Joy...?" Leaf asked, wondering why the woman zoned out.

"Oh, sorry. I tend to do that when I hear about young love." Leaf's face heated up, flashing bright. "Not meaning to embarrass you, but he told me about when you two were younger."

"Huh..." was all Leaf said back.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, it's really sweet, not to mention adorable. Two friends who cared for each other separated, being reunited years later at a competition..." the pink-haired nurse spoke in a narrator fashion.

"Yeah, a real romance story..." the brunette rolled her eyes, giggling.

"But, remember not to be too fast with him." the brunette looked questionably at her. "You know how he is, he acts like a tough guy. We both know he has a caring and nice personality inside, but you want to slowly chip at the exterior first. You don't want to just drop and smash him." the nurse spoke seriously.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy, I will. Although we were friends, I guess he doesn't know exactly what's going on." the brunette said, smiling. The nurse nodded, smiling as well.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Moments ago...<strong>_

Ash glanced back, wondering what the two women were talking about a he continued into the stadium. He recalled the board in his mind, moving to the far-right battlefield doorway. Once inside, he heard pokemon crying out as they unleashed attacks. Nearby, he noticed Hilda and Hilbert standing by each other with the group. He noticed the mesmerized looks on the others faces, so he took the pair's arms, swiftly pulling them behind the crowd. "Ssh." he told them, then they finally looked at him.

"Why? What, are you wanted or something?" Hilda asked.

"Seems about right." Hilbert shrugged.

"Not now. Look, things are happening to me right now that I don't think I'll be able to handle." Ash told them, who only stared back in confusion.

"What are you talking about? Did Leaf make a move or something?" Hilbert asked.

"That's just it, Hilbert." Ash replied.

"Wow, really? Shot out of the dark and I was right, that never happens." Hilbert said in surprise, then felt a light punch to his shoulder.

"That's not what he meant, idiot." she muttered, feeling frustrated at the man. "You told her, didn't you?" Hilda looked at Ash.

"Yeah..." he said uncomfortably.

"Nice..." Hilbert muttered, moving his head.

"Shut up. Anyway, what did you tell her exactly?" Hilda asked.

"I didn't exactly tell her. I told her Ash was in the tournament, then let her figure out the rest. She knows I'm Ash, not Shadow, and she knows you two and Nurse Joy are the only ones who know about me." Ash explained.

"Nurse Joy know about you?" Hilbert asked in confusion.

"I told you to shut up. Anyway, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to still be friends with her?" Hilda asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, that's what I wanted help with. You know how we grew up together?" the two nodded. "At that time, we kind of...well...we had a younger case of first-grade crush..." Ash told them, shifting and feeling nervous. The two stared in amazement.

"You mean...All those times I asked you to watch movies with me, you _weren't_ being stupid? You were only _acting_ stupid?" Hilda asked in surprise, mixed with anger.

"No, only because you'd move onto Hilbert next." Ash replied, chuckling and making the two heat up.

"Despite that, I never thought of you...You, before me...getting a girlfriend..." Hilbert said, still surprised.

"It wasn't that far, just light feelings." Ash quickly defended, glaring at the man.

"But you held hands, hugged, sat on the couch together, and kissed, right?" Hilda asked slyly, smiling innocently. Ash looked away, feeling ashamed. "Ha, this is awesome!" she laughed, holding her hands over her mouth to keep quiet.

"Shut up, shut up..." Ash muttered frustratingly, holding his head and closing his eyes. "This may be funny to you two, but you'll probably have to face this with each other in a few years." Hilda shut up.

"All right, I guess I'm done." she said. "Anyway, are you going to act like a boyfriend, then? Or are you pulling some 'innocent friends' act?" she asked, airquoting the two words.

"I don't know...I just don't..." Ash sighed, then remembered what was happening nearby. "So, who's winning this?" Ash asked, referring to the nearby battlefield.

"Oh, Trip got an early lead and Max hasn't recovered." Hilbert said, putting his arms behind his head. "Max just lost his third pokemon, while Trip hasn't lost one. His pokemon are really in sync, they're a great pair." the man commented. The three dismissed the topic, looking back to the field. A large ape stood, facing off against a larger creature with two concrete pillars and a floating partner resembling two ice cream cones.

"Slaking, Focus Punch!" the young boy shouted.

"Conkeldurr, Focus Punch!" the pokemon took its hands off its concrete pillars, dashing forward with its fist brought back, glowing red. The ape did the same thing, crashing their fists together with brute force. "Now, Vanilluxe, use Avalanche!" the blonde-haired boy commanded. While the fists pushed for dominance, the ice-type floated above Conkeldurr. It called out its name, forming a circle of ice power above the two, dropping chunks of ice toward them. The ice moved toward the ape, dropping and breaking over its head and upper back. The ape grunted, feeling weakened from the ice as the fighting-type's fist moved closer. Suddenly its fist gave out, Conkeldurr winning as its fists continued into the ape's chest, pushing it back to its trainer.

"Slaking!" Max called to the ape, it slowly getting up.

"Vanilluxe, Ice Beam! Conkeldurr, Stone Edge!" the blonde commanded again. The ice-type fired a chilled beam toward the ape, the fighting-type launching several sharp rocks after it.

"Slaking, hyper Beam!" the ape grunted, rearing its head back as it charged a powerful beam of energy, firing it and countering the ice attack. However, the rocks continued and pierced the ape's chest, pushing it onto its back. After a few moments of no movement, the ref raised his flag.

"Slaking is unable to battle! The victory goes to Trip!" Max frowned, recalling the ape.

"Thank you for your best, old friend." Max whispered, putting away the pokeball. He looked up, seeing Trip petting his own pokemon and recalling them. The two crossed the field, meeting at the center. "Good battle."

"You too, Max." they shook hands, leaving the field. Max met with his friends, getting reassurance over his loss. Hilda and Hilbert remained with Shadow.

"So, back to before..." Hilda started.

"Yeah, so what do I do? Act casual?" Ash asked.

"I doubt that would work after not talking for years," Ash sighed. "But, I would say to not go too fast. I bet she's still trying to realize you're actually back, so I wouldn't push her into anything. Just be friends for now, and see if you want to be more like you were as kids." she explained, giving a brief smile.

"...You're almost as helpful as Nurse Joy...Must be a girl thing..." Ash told her, flashing a smile and nod before leaving the stadium.

"Almost?" Hilda asked, feeling offended.

"Don't worry about it, that's the closest to a compliment you'll get." Hilbert told her. "...Him and Leaf, though..." Hilda sighed, thinking along the line of 'idiot as always'.

"Hilda, Hilbert!" the two looked over, seeing the group coming toward them. "Did you guys leave during the battle?" Brock asked.

"No, we just...uh...felt like seeing a different perspective on the field. First half over there, second half over here." Hilbert said, giving a nervous laugh. Hilda nodded.

"Okay..." Brock dismissed it. "So, what else is there to do for today?"

"Well, we could just walk around." Cilan suggested.

"No way! Let's go shopping!" the hyperactive blunette suggested happily, smiling brightly.

"No way, I've had enough for today. I'm just going back to the room." Max said, starting out of the stadium.

"Wait up!" the brunette piped up, following her brother.

"Weird...Anyway, where's Shadow? I haven't see him lately." Misty said, looking at Hilbert and Hilda.

"Uh...Well, you know him, he's always around..." Hilbert said, looking in the corner of his eye.

"Is he at your camp? After his battle with Iris, he just disappeared." the redhead stated, making the purple-haired girl lower her head.

"Well, he probably is..." Hilda said, trying to get off the topic.

"What if he's with Leaf?" everyone looked at the blunette. "What if he's making moves on her? What if they like each other? What if they're already _together_?" the blunette asked in shock and anger.

"Dawn, calm down. I doubt Shadow of all people is talking with girls." Brock said, looking at Hilda and Hilbert.

"You got that right." Hilbert laughed.

"Well, he could be with Zo. Either way, I have something I wanted to talk with him about." Hilda said, leaving the group.

"Hey, I haven't asked him yet!" Hilbert said, rushing after her.

"...Well, want to go visit Shadow?" Misty asked, breaking the silence.

"You want to..."

* * *

><p>"Shadow!" Hilbert called in the clearing, getting no response.<p>

"Shadow!" a feminine voice came a few feet away, Hilda and Hilbert looked at each other. "I'm talking to him first."

"No way." Hilbert said competitively, rushing toward the trees. Hilda followed suit, the two breaking through branches into the campsite. They were surprised to see Zo and Pikachu sitting together by the tent, playing cards.

"You two want the tent?"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on the floor beneath the pokemon center lobby, Ash looked around in admiration at the great structuring. "To think, this whole mall is beneath the center..." he muttered, smirking.<p>

"Well, it's only a strip mall, so it's not as impressive." he looked at the brunette, who was moving hangers along the rack.

"I don't understand why I had to come clothes shopping with you." Ash said, feeling uncomfortable as he glanced around, earning confused looks by women.

"You left for years, never contacted-"

"Alright, I get it." Ash sighed quietly.

"Besides, you're my closest friend at this tournament. It's not like shopping will kill you or anything." Leaf told him, smiling innocently.

"You haven't been dragged around by three women across the world's malls..." Ash sighed again, shaking his head.

"Anyways, how does this look?" she held a light blue hoodie-sweater in front of her, with the word 'infexious' across the chest.

"I'm not the best in opinion. Besides, it's not even cold out, why do you need a hoodie?" Ash asked, arching his eyebrow.

"It's supposed to get cold soon, so I'm getting prepared. Besides, until it gets cold, I'll leave the zipper half down." Leaf said, giving a wink and smile. Ash cringed, looking away, making the girl giggle. "All right, how about this?" she held a blue long-sleeve shirt up, reading 'Drink triple, see double, act single' with a cracked pink heart below it.

"Really? Do you even know what that means?" Ask asked.

"Of course I do." she replied, rolling her eyes as she put it back on the rack.

"Can we leave now?" Ash asked, glancing at the exit. It's not far, he could make it...

"Just a sec, I'm thinking about this hoodie. It's so cute!" she said happily, taking the hoodie from earlier and hugging it.

"Jut get it then, I'll be waiting outside." Ash started for the doorway, but felt himself dragged back.

"You're waiting at the cashier with me." Ash sighed, feeling himself dragged toward the desk. A few minutes later, Leaf looked at the receipt as she left the store, Ash walking close behind. "Wow, I got such a deal!"

"I can't believe that worker..." Ash muttered, glancing back at the store as they walked away from it.

"Oh come on, we just look too cute together for someone to _not_ say it." Leaf giggled, grabbing his arm and looking up at him. Ash only sighed lightly, making the girl laugh as she let him go. "Lighten up, have you been like this since you left? Man, I feel sorry for Zo, Hilda and Hilbert."

"They're able to put up with me, since they have fear in them." Ash told her.

"But I know you won't threaten, hurt or be mad at me." Leaf said, leaning forward and looking up at him, smiling innocently. Ash only rolled his eyes.

"Where to next?" he asked, looking away.

"This great store has a discount on bras!" Leaf exclaimed, putting her hand in the air as she glanced back at him.

"No way ever." Ash responded immediately, making her laugh.

"I'm kidding, I just wanted to hear your reaction." Leaf laughed, smiling. "Anyway, we're going to a jewellery store!"

"You don't need jewellery." Ash told her.

"Are you saying I'm pretty enough without it?" she asked slyly, smiling sweetly. Ash looked away, clearing his throat.

"No, it's just...jewellery is a waste. It would be cheaper to mine it yourself and chip it into condition." Ash stated.

"But I'm not going into a mine, it'll ruin my skin."

"Should've known."

* * *

><p>"So, what <em>are<em> you two doing in such a hurry?" Zo asked, sighing again after almost half an hour of their denial.

"Well, we were looking for Shadow." Hilda said.

"Too late, you missed him a while ago. He was taking that girl, Leaf I think it was, somewhere." Zo said plainly, giving a yawn.

"What? Where?" Hilbert asked.

"How should I know? I don't care what they do together, as long as I get to tease him about it later." she responded, lying her head back down and closing her eyes.

"Then wouldn't you want to be spying on him, waiting for them to kiss or something?" Hilda asked. No response. "Zo?" the girl's eyes opened, her head rose and she stretched her arms.

"Can't get a nap anywhere...Like a curse or something..." Zo muttered, crawling out of the tent and standing. "So you've got a point, where do you suggest we start looking?"

"Well, me and Hilbert started here..." Hilda said, then noticed the pokemon shaking her head.

"That was a failure, wasn't it?" Hilda puffed her cheeks, annoyed with the pokemon girl. "Anyway, I'm checking the mall. You can come if you want." Zo said, starting past them.

"What makes you think they're there?" Hilda asked.

"There's a _mall_ here?" Hilbert asked. Zo gave a sigh, then stopped and looked back.

"Think about it: she's gonna want to torture Ash for not contacting her after so long, what would a girl think of first?" Zo asked. The two thought, then responded.

"Shopping."

"There you go. Now, come on." Zo said, continuing on her way again. The two looked at each other, then followed the pokemon closely. In the tent, a familiar mouse yawned as it emerged from the tent. It looked around in confusion, then noticed a bag beside the tent. It opened it, seeing the many pokeballs of its friends. It looked at each one, thinking before finally grabbing one. But it was near the bottom in the middle, so its arm brushed against a few pokeballs as its arm went in. A clicking sound was heard, then a bright blue light burst from the bag. Pikachu looked at the pokeball, then it froze as its eyes went wide, giving a gulp.

"_Pi-ka..."_ it muttered, shuddering as it looked back at the light forming behind it. It saw a large creature, then the light ceased and revealed the monster pokemon. Pikachu stood tall, bravely facing as the monster pokemon brought its foot down, violently shaking the ground and giving a devastating roar.

This mouse's mind was not to be messed with.

**END**

**Hilbert, run! Oh, wait, that's next. Forget you read that.**

**Who did Pikachu release? (Heh, couldn't resist...)  
>What will it do?<br>Will Zo, Hilda and Hilbert find Ash and Leaf? Reactions?  
>Where are the others looking for Shadow?<br>What are May and Max doing?**

**R&R for answers, opinions matter! Without opinions, the world would not have been built up to what it is today. If no one had a different opinion, this world would be a peace haven. But one kind of food. Sucks.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Life...is...misery. Unfortunately, people are delusional and say it is **_**bliss**_**. I mean, come on, we can all agree life is almost never fair. 'Nuff said.**

"How about this?"

"I told you my opinion isn't supporting."

"I'll take that as a no. Besides, I think the diamonds looked better!"

"Good for you, whatever makes you want to leave."

"You are such a guy." the brunette giggled, the man rolled his eyes as he turned away. "Come on, just help me!"

"You don't have the money, anyway." Ash responded, not looking back. Leaf puffed her cheeks.

"So? Window shopping is fun, you know." she told him.

"It's not window shopping if you're touching the merchandise." Ash smirked, Leaf gave a pouting face.

"You're really no fun anymore." she said, walking past him.

"Finally." Ash sighed lightly, following the girl. "So where to?"

"Well, clothes...jewellery...Actually, that's about all I needed." Leaf said, looking at her bags. In Ash's hands.

"So we can leave? Cool." he said, feeling cheerful for once. Leaf noticed this, giggling and smiling at him.

"I can tell you're happy inside." he looked at her happy expression in confusion. "It's nice to know you're happy, since you don't show it."

"Well, things have changed." Ash replied hesitantly, looking away from her. She laughed more.

"I don't see it like that." she told him, still smiling brightly. Ash didn't look back, knowing she was messing with his mind. Leaf frowned, looking forward again. "You really are no fun anymore."

"Repeating it won't change anything." Ash informed her, smirking. She looked at him, sticking her tongue out and winking. Ash shook his head in amusement, looking at the exit ahead. "You know, Leaf...I guess..." she looked at him. "...Well...I guess it wasn't...as bad, as I've seen..." Ash said, clearing his throat.

"Aww, I told you it wouldn't kill you." she said sweetly, clutching onto his arm. Ash glanced down at her unoticeably, seeing her happy expression as she watched ahead. He felt like smiling, but was able to repent it. As they both walked up the staircase, giving an overview of the main lobby as the elevators went up and down. Ash looked around in admiration again before leaving. "What is it?" Leaf asked, tugging his arm lightly.

"Nothing, just wondering about something." Ash replied simply, looking back down at her. Surprisingly, he felt a pair of soft lips on his cheek. Looking at her in surprise for a few seconds, then watched her move back and smile.

"You deserve it." she tilted her head, giggling before running past him. Ash stood in shock for a few moments, finally giving a smirk. He turned, heading up the stairs with the girl's bags still in his grip.

Unbeknownst to the pair, three particular figures were watching in surprise as their elevator headed up. "Told you." Hilda said, crossing her arms and smiling. Zo and Hilbert stood by her, still surprised as their elevator dinged, opening the door.

"I still don't believe this...I mean, _him _before _me_..." Hilbert trailed off, unconsciously moving out of the elevator.

"I can believe it perfectly." Hilda responded calmly, smirking at the man.

"Well, I guess I have to thank you for disrupting me..." Zo said, earning confused looks. "You woke me from my nap, remember?"

"No, you said you didn't get to sleep." Hilda responded. Zo crossed her arms, looking away.

"Oh, yeah...I guess you're right...Whatever, disturbing me from my peace." the two sighed. "I am going to have so much fun taunting him about this." the two nodded, smiling with the pokemon as they headed for the exit.

"I just hope he won't mention Charizard..."

"Something tells me he won't..."

* * *

><p>"Oh my gosh, why did I do that...?" Leaf asked herself, moving her finger to her lips. She gave a small smile. "But...I guess it wasn't that bad...He's probably as clueless as ever, right now..." she giggled to herself, walking into the campsite. Although, something didn't seem right. Leaf froze, instantly realizing the answer. Oh, do you think she noticed the large orange winged dragon standing in front of her? That's probably it.<br>"A charizard...!" Leaf gasped quietly, frozen in shock and fear at the immense dragon in front of her, staring at her menacingly. Suddenly, a small rodent came out from behind it. Leaf almost went starry-eyed at its cuteness, but was confused as it walked slowly toward her. It moved close to her legs, sniffing her. She felt her cheeks turn pink, unsure why the mouse was sniffing her. The mouse turned back to the fire lizard, speaking in pokemon tongue. The lizard stared at her, making her more nervous, then closed its eyes as it moved away from her. She sighed, letting out the breath she had unknowingly held. The mouse smiled to her, she gave a small smile back. "Hello, there." she crouched down, holding her hand out. Pikachu moved his head closer to her hand, rubbing his head with it. She smiled more, petting the mouse. She noticed the dragon lie down near the tent, then she stood up and moved closer to it. She sat down on the grass by it, watching the dragon rest.

"I hope he didn't give you trouble. Charizard, I mean." she nearly jumped at the voice, looking at Ash, standing a few feet away with her bags in his hands. He wore an unreadable expression, but she noticed him looking right at her. "He tends to defend our campsite when others come near, at least when he's out." Ash told her, moving toward her. He set her bags beside her, sitting near her against a tree.

"Sorry, I guess I left you with those." Leaf apologized, giving an apologetic smile.

"No worries, I've been left with worse." Ash replied, recalling his painful past experiences. Leaf giggling quietly, holding her hands over her mouth. She looked over at the dragon.

"So, you started out with charmander, then?" she asked.

"No." she looked in surprise. "I actually started with this little guy." Leaf tilted her head in confusion, then as if on cue, the mouse appeared on his shoulder, smiling at her. "At first he was stubborn, but we got along like best friends shortly after. Charizard I actually found abandoned as a charmander, had to save it from the rain." Ash told her.

"Wow, so he joined you after saving his life." Leaf said in amazement.

"After he evolved, he began disobeying like Pikachu. Then once he evolved into Charizard, he began burning me. Literally." Leaf laughed quietly. "Then one day, one battle, I stayed up all night taking care of him. He changed after that, finally listening to what I said." Ash explained, rubbing Pikachu's fur to his enjoyment.

"Wow, you have an interesting back-story to all your pokemon, don't you?" Leaf asked, smiling. Ash shrugged, smirking. "So Pikachu's your strongest, then?"

"Of course. We've been through everything together, he's my best friend and strongest." Ash told her, the mouse nodding proudly.

"So I guess you can be clueless like your trainer." Leaf giggled, smiling at the mouse. He rubbed the back of his head, lowering his ears in embarrassment.

"Are you insulting my pokemon, or me?" Ash asked carefully, looking at her. She smiled nervously, waving her hands.

"No, I'm not insulting either of you. It's just a little funny, is all." she told him, her smile not gone. "By the way...Where's Zo? Hilbert and Hilda I haven't seen for a while, but I thought Zo would still be here trying to sleep." Leaf said, looking at the young man.

"I never know what goes through Zo's mind, but I bet Hilda and Hilbert are somewhere together. They always seem to be." Ash smirked, giving a quiet laugh. "Anyway, I suppose I should find Zo before she gets into trouble." Ash sighed, standing up.

"I'll come, too." Leaf stood, smiling at him. He looked away, giving a simple nod before. Then, familiar voices caught their attention.

"Where else would he be? I was right about the mall, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, but wouldn't he be off battling?"

"You don't know the schedule, do you? Besides, I know him better than you do."

"Stop fighting already, you're like little kids."

"No one asked you!" Ash sighed, then noticed a figure emerge from the trees.

"Hey, anything int-" Hilbert froze, noticing the all-too-familiar dragon in the campsite. It raised its head, glaring at the man. "Oh, _come on_! How do you _already know_!" Hilbert shouted in frustration, disappearing back into the trees.

"What's with you?"

"He knows. He already freakin' knows!"

"What are you - Ha! That is classic!" Hilda began laughing as she left the bushes, immediately noticing the dragon. The man hid behind her, scared. "How'd you know, Ash?"

"What are you talking about? I didn't even let him out. Speaking of which..." Ash, as well as everyone else, looked at Pikachu. "...Why is Charizard out, anyway?" the mouse rubbed its head nervously.

"_Chupi._"

"Of course it was an accident." Ash replied, crossing his arms.

"Ash, am I ever _glad_ I listened to these two!" he looked at Zo, coming out of the bushes, smiling a little _too_ much.

"What did they do?" Ash sighed, looking at the other two. They smiled nervously, waving.

"They gave me advice that will make me very happy over the next few days." Zo smiled more, then noticed Leaf standing by Ash. "Oh, it seems you two are still together, then."

"Together?" Leaf asked on confusion.

"Don't tell me..." she looked at Ash, who had his head low and was rubbing his forehead, giving a noticeably sigh. "You guys were watching us, weren't you?"

"Not necessarily..." Zo said, laughing quietly to herself as she looked away. "Only when you left the jewellery store."

"Jewellery?" Leaf asked, then gasped as she clasped her hands over her mouth, her cheeks going red. They saw it.

"Don't worry, we won't tell anyone." Hilda gave her a reassuring smile, Hilbert only raised a thumbs-up over her shoulder.

"But Ash, on the other hand, we can't let something gold like this go so easily." Zo said slyly, pointing at him.

"Zo, you realize I have Charizard out, right?" he asked, looking at her oddly. At its name, the lizard raised its head and looked at the girl.

"Oh, didn't notice..." Zo said, taking a step back. "If it comes to that, I'll use Hilbert as a shield."

"What!" the man shouted, still hiding behind Hilda.

"Nothing personal, I just know Charizard will follow you when you run. Plus, it's entertaining." Zo told the man, giving him an innocent smile. He only glared back at her. "Besides, Ash wouldn't have one of his strongest attack one of his smallest, not to mention most innocent." she gave an innocent look to him, but he only stared, emotionless. "Oh, right..."

"What makes you think I wouldn't, if you resort to blackmail? Besides, you are the _least_ innocent of my team." Ash told her. Zo laughed nervously, rubbing her arm as she looked away.

"Wait, what are you talking about? Zo isn't a pokemon." Leaf said in confusion, looking bac and forth from her to Ash.

"Oh, right. I said I was going to tell you later, wasn't I? Well, now's as good as any other time." Ash stated, looking expectantly at Zo, giving a nod.

"What? Oh, right, that. I guess..." she said, rolling her eyes as she jumped into the air, landing again as a small black fox.

"What?" Leaf asked in surprise, looking at the fox.

"Zo is actually a Zorua, she's a part of my pokemon team. She likes being in human form, though, since she can go into public without getting trainers looking at her." Ash explained, the fox nodded, its tail swaying back and forth happily.

"Oh, wow..." was all Leaf said. "Wait, then are you battling with her, too?" Leaf looked at Ash.

"Eventually." he shrugged, smirking.

"You better be." Leaf looked back at the fox, who was now in human form again. "If you don't, you'll be joining the cleffa." Zo said threateningly, pointing up.

"Haven't you said that before?" Ash asked, arching an eyebrow. The girl shrugged.

"Probably, but it's a good line." she told them, crossing her arms and smiling.

"Not really." Ash shook his head in amusement, looking back at Hilda.

"What?" she asked, noticing the look he gave her.

"You may not want him behind you like that, he might try something." he said calmly, forcing back a smile and laughter as her face went red.

"Shut up!" she shouted, glaring at him.

"He's staring down." Zo said calmly, pointing at him as she saw him. Ash could tell by looking at her she was lying, resisting laughter as he was. Leaf looked back and forth at them in confusion. Hilda snapped around, facing the man. He nearly jumped as her face appeared, staring at him.

"What? You can't actually believe-!" he was cut off as he felt the air escape him, a great pain form in his chest. He stumbled back, clutching his chest. "Come on! This is _Ash _and_ Zo_! They always lie against me!" he complained, feeling fear as the girl slowly stepped closer. "Zo, Ash! Leaf, Pikachu! Heck, even _Charizard_! Someone help me!" that was the last they heard of him as he disappeared into the trees, the girl following close behind.

"Huh...That was a little different than their usual reaction." Ash commented, giving a cough.

"I guess their feelings are just getting stronger, she doesn't want to hurt him anymore." Zo said calmly, smiling.

"What...just happened?" they both looked at Leaf, who was clearly confused.

"Ah..." Ash rubbed the back of his head. "How do I explain this...? Zo and I like to...mess with their minds. We sometimes say they kissed, but their reaction is a little dangerous so we don't use it often." Ash chuckled, joined by the mouse copying his actions.

"But, at least I know _you two_ have kissed." Zo said slyly, looking at the two of them as she rubbed her chin. Leaf's face heated up again, Ash only stared at her. "Don't worry, I'll agree to keeping this quiet. But I can't guarantee it won't slip in public every now and then." she stuck her tongue out playfully, disappearing through the trees. The two stood silent, unsure how to react or break the silence.

"_Pichupi?"_ the mouse asked, looking back and forth at them.

"It's fine, Pi. Just thinking." Ash told the mouse, earning a nod.

"Thinking about what?" Leaf asked, snapping out of it.

"A pokemon would be able to defend from a wild charizard attack, right?"

"Ash, you can't use Charizard on her! Besides, that'll reveal she's a zorua!"

"...Ah, good point...Too bad..." Ash frowned in disappointment, putting his hands in his pockets. Leaf looked at him, frowning. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just thinking..." Ash looked at her expectantly, raising his eyebrows. "...Well...Do you really think she'll keep quiet about it? I mean...I can't answer why, I'm not even sure myself why I did it..." she said nervously, embarrassed as she rubbed her arm, looking away from him.

"It's not a part of some girl's first-date code or something?" Ash smirked.

"No! It's just...I don't know, we did it when we were kids..." she said nervously, shifting uncomfortably.

"So you want to relive our childhood, continuing where we left off?" Leaf looked at him in surprise, who seemed to be a little _too_ calm on the subject.

"Well, not exactly...I don't know!" she complained, putting her hands to her head in frustration. Ash shook his head in amusement. "What? Am I entertaining you?"

"You really haven't changed since you were little," she looked at him carefully, wondering where he was getting as he moved closer to her. To her surprise, he put his arms around her in an embrace. "Not at all. In your own way, you're still the cute girl I knew." her face heated up, surprised to hear those words from him. She felt him move back, then step past her. She stood, surprised and shocked at his sudden action. She felt a smile form in her face, looking back at the trees he disappeared through.

"...Still the same, dense guy...thinking a hug is a sign..." she laughed quietly to herself, looking down at the mouse. "They say pokemon can feel the trainer's feelings...Hey, Pikachu, can you tell what Ash thinks of me?" Leaf asked the mouse, who shook his head. She looked confused, then Pikachu shook its head, smiling as he wagged a finger in the air. "I guess you're right, I shouldn't cheat..." Leaf smiled, petting the mouse's head. "You're really smart, Pikachu." the mouse nodded happily, giving a playful 'chaa!'.

"...I am really losing myself..." Ash sighed, shaking his head. As with Leaf, he couldn't figure out why he had done that. It might not have been as open as Leaf's, but it was still something coming from him. "...Maybe Nurse Joy can help..." he muttered, smirking as he came closer to the center's entrance. He stepped through the doorway, noticing the pokemon at the desk. "Is Nurse Joy on break?" the audino nodded, giving a smile. Ash nodded, giving a wave before going to the battle board. "What time is...Huh?" something was remembered some names from the top, but they were different. A box in the screen's corner caught his eye, he read it. "Attention participants, the number of recent resignations has caused us to reschedule. We're sorry for the inconvenience, the seconds round will still continue until the number of participants remaining reaches our designated target. Good luck to all..." Ash thought for a moment, then smirked. "So they changed the battles only, wish it could have shortened this competition more..." he muttered, smirking as he read down the list. Finally, he reached his name. He stared for a moment, then rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, reading it again. "Heh...This time, it'll be different..." he told himself, his smirk growing.

"Excuse me, I have to know my next battle." Ash looked at the source of the voice, surprised to see the very name he read. His opponent for his next battle. The next trainer he would defeat.

"No problem..." he replied, stepping back from the board. The older man watched him intently, then turned to the board.

"You're the Shadow I've heard so much about," he stated, glancing back and getting a nod. "I've heard you're an impressive trainer. Most of your opponents forfeited, right?" Ash nodded again. "You really must be intimidating on the battlefield." he spoke, then he found his name. Taking a few moments to take it in, he smirked. "...Well, fate is at work today..."

"Sure is." Ash smirked, watching his opponent stand straight, facing him. "But be sure to forget everything you've heard of me, I'm nothing more than a simple trainer on the field. Nothing more." Ash stated.

"You can frighten young trainers, but I am never intimidated." the man spoke.

"I've heard of your accomplishments over the years, you certainly are the most impressive trainer I've now met. But, even with your legendary power, I don't expect any holding back." Ash told him.

"That doesn't exist in my books. I'll see you on the battlefield tomorrow morning, then. Bring all your luck, courage and power. I'll be waiting." the man told him, leaving the center. Ash stood unfazed, his smirk now a determined grin.

"And so, the legendary battle of the Arc Tournament is decided..."

**END**

**I gave two hints, they may be small or big (heh). Comment if you think you spotted them.**

**Who is this trainer? Why is Ash determined and looking forward to the battle?  
>Where did Hilda chase Hilbert to?<br>Where did Zo wander off to?  
>Where is Ash's past friends?<br>What is Leaf doing with Charizard and Pikachu?**

**Some of these questions will be answered next! R&R for opinions, ideas and feedback!**

**Also, thinking of changing the title. I don't want to go too close to any awesome fanfic to seem like I'm copying, but I could use your help! Ideas never hurt anyone!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Winter...the cold grip you can't escape from. Until April or May, at least.**

**Anyway, don't own Pokemon. Let's begin, shall we?**

"Man, where did he go...?" Hilda muttered, looking around. She stood in the open area of the central plaza, scanning the area for the cowardly man she had been chasing moments earlier. Unfortunately, he had gotten the slip on her. "Coward..." she muttered angrily, determined to find the man. She began walking away, in search of the man. Nearby, a certain man leaned against a wall, peeking around the corner. He sighed heavily, letting go of the breath he had held in.

"I see you haven't stopped hiding, you coward." Hilbert opened his eyes and looked back, surprised to see a familiar boy his own age.

"_You_!"

* * *

><p>"Wonder where they went...Oh, well, not my problem." Ash muttered, giving up on his search for the pair. He gave a light sigh, looking toward the trees. "I guess I just left her there...Eh, she did the same thing..." Ash shrugged, smirking as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking toward the center. Stepping in, he noticed the familiar pink-haired woman at the desk. He took his regular spot, leaning on the counter.<p>

"If you spend anymore time here, I'll have to put a name-tag there." the woman said, giving a light laugh as she flipped a magazine page, glancing up at him.

"I don't see a problem with that." Ash chuckled, looking at the woman.

"So what brings you here now? Did my advice from earlier not help?" she asked, looking back at the pages.

"No, it was very helpful. I'm just bored." Ash shrugged.

"So are you prepared for your upcoming battle? It's going to be tough, considering the guy's reputation." she told him, smiling.

"Don't worry about it, I've faced him before. I even took out one of his pokemon, remember?" Ash asked.

"Sorry, I didn't see the Sinnoh League." Ash sweat-dropped, nearly doubling over. "But, I know if anyone's going to beat him, it's you or a champion." she said. "So, how's Leaf?"

"She's good, she knows who I am now. That makes five people here." Ash told the woman, who gave a single nod.

"So I'm assuming you're getting back together, then?" Ash nearly fell over again, looking surprised at the woman.

"There was nothing in the first place." the woman gave a nod, rolling her eyes. "There wasn't! It was just...feelings." Ash said uncomfortably.

"Feelings lead to actions, and actions lead to relationships." the nurse spoke wisely, Ash sighed quietly. "I can tell from what I've heard, being a woman, you went all the way on that scale."

"No, I didn't. Not on that scale, or...Well, I didn't." Ash didn't finish his thought, cutting the idea and possibility from his mind.

"Sure you didn't, that's what all the younger ones say." the nurse said, flipping another page.

"We _didn't_, nothing more than feelings."

"But you said you kissed, hugged, held hands?"

"...Sort of..."

"Those are actions, and I bet she thought those made you two go further."

"Okay, you lost me."

"Like any other hopeless man...Well, I only have to say not to rush. Women don't like running into something, they slow down and savor the sweetness and scenery." the nurse explained, glancing up at him, reading no emotion.

"...Ah..." she gave a quiet sigh, flipping another page. "Anyway, thanks for the...advice, if that's what just happened...I have to get ready for the battle." he gave a wave, leaving the lobby. The nurse waved, smiling as she shook her head.

"That girl's going to have a hard time getting anything out of him..."

* * *

><p>The next morning, after a night of intense training and short resting, Ash and his pokemon stood by Route 10's lake, stretching. "All right, guys, we've got a big battle today. Some of you may know him, others not, but despite that we're going to win." Ash told them, rolling his shoulders. "I've already got my team picked out, so no mixed feelings about my choices." the pokemon called out in agreement. "All right, return, guys." the pokemon nodded, each returning to their individual pokeballs minus two. The two pokemon watched him, one human one pokemon, as the trainer lowered his head by the lake.<p>

"Ash, do I get to battle today!" Zo asked, hands on her hips. The mouse on the ground beside her sighed, shaking his head.

"No." he responded, taking his hands out of the water and running them through his hair.

"Come _on_!" she shouted in frustration, throwing her hands in the air.

"I told you, I'm saving you for the most important battles. Besides, this opponent's pokemon won't exactly let up or agree with you." Ash told her, standing again. The two noticed his hair was down in a familiar fashion, but not the same as years ago. The hair was down, but most of the strands were spread across his left eye, some stray strands across his right. The hair on top of his head were smoothed out, but still seemed lightly familiar to bed-head. Taking his pokeballs, he placed them in his bag. He looked at each ball, grabbing six in particular and placing them on his belt. "These guys are gonna want some revenge for the Sinnoh League." Ash smirked, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

"Who are they?" Zo asked curiously.

"A few from everywhere." Zo sighed.

"I didn't mean region-wise. I meant as in _names_?" Zo asked again.

"Can't say, against my nature telling my party before battle." Ash shrugged, earning another sigh from the pokemon girl. "Ash looked at the mouse with a single nod, getting a nod back as the mouse climbed his leg, perching on his shoulder. "Today's the day, Pi." the two grinned to each other, a single nod before the mouse zipped the bag, climbing in and closing it behind him.

"You let him go with you to your battles, but don't let me explore?" Zo asked with a hint of annoyance, crossing her arms.

"If he's with me, I can watch him. You, I can't, because you're usually in the middle of an angry mob." Ash said plainly, shaking his head.

"That was a one-time thing." Zo said quietly, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. "Still, can I watch your battle?"

"Of course, I can't deny that, since we're at a battle tournament. Just no trouble." Zo nodded happily, ignoring the insult. "All right, I'm heading out. See you at the battlefield." Ash waved, pulling a pokeball from his belt, releasing a large red dragon. Ash hopped on Charizard's back, the lizard taking off toward the Plateau.

"Hey! You could have given me a ride!"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Hilda!" the girl turned around, seeing the familiar group approach her. "Where have you been?"<p>

"I've been looking for Hilbert almost half a day now, but where have _you_ been?" Hilda asked.

"Uh...We kinda...Got a little lost..." Iris rubbed the back of her hair, not being able to reach her head.

"We were looking for Shadow, but we couldn't find him." Brock added.

"Oh, Shadow? He's been at our campsite." Hilda said plainly, pointing back.

"What!" Misty gasped.

"Yeah, he was dragged on a shopping trip and came back yesterday. Did you seriously spend all yesterday and the night looking?" Hilda asked in surprise.

"Did you really look for Hilbert all night?" Hilda frowned.

"We...Have some differences to settle..." Hilda said, the others not recognizing her mysterious tone. But they shrugged it off.

"Hey, do you know when Shadow's next battle is?" the blunette asked, coming out from behind Brock. Hilda nearly jumped.

"Oh, yeah. I think it's..." she raised her wrist, clicking a few buttons until a clock showed up. "...Right now."

"What! What're we standing here for!" the blunette gasped, trying to dash away before being restrained by her arms, held by the redhead and purple-haired girls.

"Aren't we forgetting a few things?" the redhead asked, looking at the blunette. They looked over at the center, then it clicked.

"Oh, Max and May! May hates Shadow, but secretly loves him, so she'll be right along! Max is a fan of him, so he'll be with her too!" the blunette said cheerfully, smiling.

"But we're still getting them." the two dragged her to the center doors, to her dismay. Then, the doors opened and revealed the two figures.

"Let's go!" Max said cheerfully, putting a fist in the air.

"Yeah!" Dawn added, finally freeing herself of the two grips. May gave a yawn, looking angrily at Max. He felt the glare, immediately dashing away but being stopped by Brock.

"No you don't." Max frowned.

"Anyway, are we ready to go?" Misty asked, looking at the man.

"Should we wait for Hilbert?" he asked.

"No, he'll be there. He won't miss Shadow's battles, and when I see him..." she trailed off, laughing quietly while cracking her knuckles. Everyone felt slightly scared at the gesture.

"Uh...Anyway..." Cilan cleared his throat.

"Sha-dow! Sha-dow! Sha-dow!" everyone noticed the absence of two figures, recognizing the chanting as it left the group. Everyone sweat-dropped, watching Max and Dawn move toward the stadium, chanting with their fists in the air.

"What is the world coming to...?"

* * *

><p>"Here early again, I see." the ref said, smiling as he watched Ash approach him.<p>

"Precaution measures. I bet almost no one else does that around here." Ash told him. The ref shook his head.

"A few here and there do, including him." he gestured across the field, the opposing trainer moving toward them.

"Ah, he's already here. As expected." Ash smirked.

"I commend you for coming, Shadow, but I'm afraid your efforts will be fruitless." the man told him, looking at Ash who wasn't very shorter than him.

"My efforts are of the valiance, but successful is a better description." Ash responded, giving a determined look half-seen from behind his hair.

"You're a confident one, but I'm sure you have heard of me. Are you not intimidated?" the man asked.

"Not a bit, this is going to be a revenge match for me." Ash responded. The man smirked, knowing he meant they had battled before. "But, it won't end the same way."

"I expect the best." the man agreed, holding his hand out from beneath his red cloak. Ash nodded, grasping the man's hand and shaking. They parted, looking expectantly toward the ref. "Is it okay, ref?"

"You don't start for another few minutes." he informed them.

"We understand, but this battle is one that cannot wait." Ash told him, the man nodding in agreement. The ref nodded.

"We made it!" the three looked over at the crowd, seeing a group panting. Ash felt surprised, seeing the familiar figures at his battle. Especially one.

"I told you we wouldn't miss it if we ran..." the young boy remarked.

"Oh, can it." the redhead panted, glaring at the boy.

"Well, at least we're here!" the blunette said excitedly, noticing Ash on the field, looking at them. "Shadow! Knock 'em dead!" she waved happily.

"Friends of yours?" the man asked, looking at Ash, who gave a light sigh.

"Some, but not exactly..." he responded.

"I don't think he likes your waving, Dawn." Brock told her.

"Sure he does! He enjoys the support!" Dawn responded cheerfully, making Brock sigh.

"Settle down, Dawn, we're watching." Iris told her, pulling down her hand.

"Aww, you people..." Dawn said, sticking out her tongue. "Anyway, when does this battle start? Where's Hilbert and Zo?"

"Yeah, where oh where is Hilbert..." everyone felt shivers down their backs, watching Hilda move away from them, searching the crowd. Near the main lobby's statue, a man hid behind it with binoculars, focused on Ash and his opponent on the field.

"Man, grow up..." the man beside him sighed.

"Shut up, you've been through the same thing if I recall." Hilbert responded, smirking.

"Oh, right..."

"Hilbert!" the men turned around, seeing Zo hurrying toward them, panting. "Did I miss the battle or something?"

"No, this is my safest vantage point." Hilbert told her.

"Oh, right. Well, I'm going closer. Oh, hey, great to see you again!" Zo smiled to the other man, then hurried toward the battlefield.

"...Have...I met her before...?"

"...You haven't happened to try catching a zorua, have you...?"

* * *

><p>"This battle will now begin! Choose your pokemon!" the ref announced, raising his flags.<p>

"I can't believe Shadow has to face him..." Brock said, staring at the familiar blue-haired man.

"This is awesome! Shadow's going to finally _lose_!" May said excitedly, mixed with anger as she smiled, pumping her fists.

"Uh...May, you're scaring me..." Iris said, laughing nervously as she watched the angry girl watch the field.

"He has two legendary pokemon, not to mention this is a four-pokemon battle. I can't imagine what else he has up his sleeve for battles..." Misty commented, looking at Brock who nodded in confirmation.

"I can't imagine, either..." everyone looked at Dawn, who was smiling widely and cheerfully, surprising everyone. "But Shadow can beat him, no doubt!"

"My friends, it's time." Tobias said to the pokeballs in his hands, then tossed them up into the air.

"Let's use the past against him." Ash smirked, tossing the pokeballs. The four balls spun in the air, then each burst open, releasing a bright blue light that crashed down onto the field.

**END**

**No, I'm not **_**that**_** cruel. I mean, close, but no. Keep reading if you so desire...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Telling you before you read it, because you don't need to. This is a long battle chapter, nothing really important happens in it. If you want a good battle scene and light comedy, read. If you don't, don't. Enjoi, or skip.**

The four lights shined on the field, slowly taking form. On the older man's side, the two lights formed separate hovering creatures. One was a pitch-black, shadow-like figure with claws and a red collar. A long stream of white hair acted as a hat, also covering its right eye as its left eye glowed light blue, intimidating watchers. Beside it, the creature was a jet-like body shape with slender blue wings. Its head came off a long white neck, with white pointy ears and two red eyes flashed, intimidating watchers as well. Two short, small arms with small claws extended from its white chest, just above the blue chest-plating with a single red triangle. It gave a hig-pitched, echoing battle cry as the other gave a loud grunt.

"Darkrai and Latios...No surprise there..." Ash muttered to himself, looking at the familiar legendary pokemon from the Sinnoh League.

"...How will Shadow face up to that pair...?" Brock asked, every set of eyes in the area watching in anticipation as Ash's pokemon began to take form. The group looked at Ash, who surprisingly stood motionless, grinning. The left light formed a human-sized gecko with a large bushy tail, sharp claws and two blades of leaves on each arm, its back also covered in six yellow bulbs. Beside it, a smaller figure in a deep-blue color with a horn protruding from its forehead, short arms with small claws and large, yellow eyes glaring at its opponents.

"Match, Shadow vs. Tobias! And...begin!"

"Darkrai, Dark Void!" the blue-haired man commanded, extending his arm. The dark-type legendary formed two dark spheres in its claws.

"Sceptile, Dragon Pulse. Heracross, charge Hyper Beam." surprising everyone, Heracross jumped behind Sceptile and charged the powerful orange sphere by its horn as the lizard's formed a blue sphere between its claws, then threw it. The legendary threw the spheres, intercepting the single sphere as both attacks cancelled out, releasing a layer of smoke.

"Dark Pulse!" the legendary quickly moved into the smoke, disappearing as it formed a chain-looking attack of dark energy between its claws.

"Wait." everyone watched in surprise as Sceptile and Heracross didn't budge, waiting for the dark-type to burst from the dust. As it emerged straight ahead, it brought its hands back further and grunted. "Heracross, attack. Sceptile, into the smoke." Sceptile jumped up, revealing Heracross, grinning. The dark-type didn't back down, firing the attack as the bug-type fired its attack, both attacks colliding at close-range, sending another layer of smoke as Heracross held its ground on all fours, while Darkrai shielded its eyes, being sent back in the air. Unfortunately, Darkrai was sent into the smoke. With Sceptile, unseen. "Leaf Blade." it was silent for a moment, then everyone heard Darkrai grunt from the smoke multiple times.

"Latios, blow it over!" the psychic-type hovered higher off the ground, flapping its jet-wings a single time, quickly parting the dust. As the pokemon were discovered, Sceptile jumped back to its side as Darkrai was seen hovering low, stumbling mid-air. "Latios, Dragon Pulse! Darkrai, Dark Void!" the two legendaries formed their spherical attacks, launching them down toward the nature-typed pair.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm." the lizard released a spiraling vortex of leaves from seemingly nowhere, sending it into the air toward the attacks. The leaves circled the attacks, then they broke off trail as they began circling in the leaves. "Heracross, Megahorn. Sceptile, back him up." the bug-type's horn glowed, charging into the swirling leaves, safely moving through the middle as the leaves and spheres circled around it.

"Darkrai, Dark Pulse!" the dark-type faced the bug, charging the attack. But Sceptile was watching its back, and had fired a ray of sunlight moments prior, colliding and imploding the attack in Darkrai's claw. The attack collision's intensity caused pain in Darkrai's claw, grunting as it moved back. However, as it grunted in pain, Heracross took the opportunity to force its horn into the dark-type's chest, sending it further back. "Latios, multiple Dragon Pulse! Don't let them near Darkrai!" the dragon-type nodded, releasing a barrage of blue spheres. Heracross dodged them, returning to its side safely.

"Heracross, into the air. Sceptile, move in on Darkrai." the two pokemon obediently listened to their trainer, the bug-type spreading its small wings and taking flight as Sceptile dashed on the ground.

"Latios, after Heracross! Darkrai, Dark Void!" the eon pokemon flew towards the bug at great speed while Darkrai stayed below, firing multiple black spheres toward the oncoming lizard.

"Sceptile, dodge. Heracross, Megahorn." the lizard expertly evaded the spheres as it drew closer, and the bug-type's horn glowed again as it charged toward the dragon-type.

"Latios, dodge and find an opening for Luster Purge! Darkrai, wait for Sceptile to get close!" the pokemon obeyed, Darkrai continuing the attacks as Latios narrowly avoided each of the bug's lunges, waiting for an opening.

"Sceptile, move around Darkrai. Heracross, move faster." the bug sped up, the dragon-type getting very close to having the attack hit it, and below the lizard jumped around the dark-type, dodging each attack but staying close.

* * *

><p>"What's Tobias thinking?" Max asked, watching the dragon avoid the bug.<p>

"That is the question, Max. Shadow managed to separate the legendaries, but that doesn't seem to be doing him any good..." Cilan commented.

"He's got a plan, and it'll work." Dawn said happily. "No way he'll lose!"

"Come on, Tobias..." everyone sweat-dropped, looking at the angry brunette while the blunette looked in anger.

* * *

><p>"Darkrai, switch to Dark Pulse sweep! Latios, encircling Dragon Pulse!" the dark-type held both its arms out, firing the dark attack as it spun in one spot, making the lizard run and jump faster. In the air, the dragon-type held its arms inches away, forming spheres between its hands and firing them rapidly as it spun its body. As it gained speed, the spheres began to circle back and move around the eon pokemon, as if moving to protect it from opponents getting close. However, Heracross continued to expertly dodge each sphere as they came back at it, repeatedly moving for the bug-type.<p>

"Seems he's finally taking offense...But, I'm not letting him win this. Heracross, switch to Hyper Beam. Sceptile, charge Solarbeam." the bulbs on its back glowed as it continued to dodge the ominous attack, while the bug flipped back, charging the powerful attack as it stared down Latios.

"What's he up to...?" Tobias muttered, watching the pokemon intently. As the lizard's bulbs glowed bright, it grinned.

"Sceptile, slide back and fire. Heracross, attack." the lizard began doing back-flips, then jumped onto its back, sliding along the battlefield. It looked up and saw Latios unsuspecting, closed one eye and focused, then fired the powerful ray of sunlight. At the same moment, the bug fired the powerful attack but was blocked by the constantly-moving spheres, spreading smoke around the dragon, enveloping it into disappearance. Tobias wondered what he was thinking, then his eyes widened in realization as he saw what he was planning.

"Latios, get out of there!" too late. Sceptile's Solarbeam disappeared into the bottom of the smoke, then a high-pitched pokemon cry was heard as the light struck something, brightening the smoke and revealing it had struck Latios! "Darkrai, Ice Beam on Sceptile!" the dark-type fired the chilled ray at the lizard.

"Sceptile, angle your Leaf Blade." the gecko crossed its arms, its blades glowing and extending, forming a cross-blade shape. It brought its elbows back, glancing up as it angled its Leaf Blades just before the attack collided. Sceptile grunted, holding its ground as the powerful attack pushed, then it diverted and deflected off the blades into the air. Sceptile and Ash grinned as the attack continued into the air, then into the still-lingering smoke. Another cry was heard as the super-effective attack struck the eon pokemon, then a large chunk of ice plumetted toward the battlefield below.

"Latios!" Tobias shouted in disbelief, watching his legendary dragon descend to the ground in a block of ice.

"Sceptile, charge Solarbeam and Heracross, Hyper Beam." the two pokemon charged their respective moves, grinning as they stared down their opponents. Latios crashed into the ground, shattering the ice. Latios struggled into the air again, moving back beside Darkrai as it glared at its opponents, the legendaries panting lightly.

* * *

><p>"He's really wearing them out!" Max said in admiration, pointing at the evidently tired legendaries.<p>

"I never would have guessed he could think this fast on his feet...He's really a powerful and dangerous trainer..." Brock muttered, staring at the trainer on the field, grinning.

"He's gonna win! He's gonna win!" Dawn cheered, putting her fists in the air.

"Come on, Tobias! You can't lose!" May shouted, showing her hatred for _Shadow_.

* * *

><p>On the field, Ash sighed. "I see that's still in effect..." he muttered, watching his pokemon charge their attacks, staring down the legendaries.<p>

"Darkrai, Dark Void!" the dark-type formed a single black sphere between its claws, firing it toward the natural-typed pokemon. Ash grinned.

"Heracross, protect Sceptile." the crowd gasped as Heracross grinned, stepping in front of Sceptile. In a few moments, the bug fired its ray toward its opponents just before the black sphere contacted it, enveloping it in a world of darkness. The darkness around it disappeared, the sleeping bug fell to its chest. The powerful ray continued toward the legendaries, striking the ground beneath them and erupting pieces of rock around them and dust.

"Darkrai, Dream Eater on Heracross! Latios, Giga Impact on Sceptile!" the dark-type's eye glowed, sending a shadow of itself toward the sleeping bug. The shadow flew through the bug, flipping it onto its back. The eon pokemon cast itself in a pink sphere of powerful energy with orange streaks, flying toward the lizard at a high speed.

"Heracross," the bug-type's body moved onto its feet, but it was still asleep as its arms glowed, crossing them over each other at the perfect time, sending them upward into the bottom of Latios' attack, imploding the sphere. "Again." the bug's arms stopped glowing, then its horn glowed as it jumped off the ground, charging into the eon pokemon's chest, making the pokemon cry in pain from the super-effective move. "Sceptile, Dragon Pulse." the dragon's eyes widened, seeing the grinning lizard throw a blue sphere at it, exploding on impact with its neck, sending it back to Tobias' side, rolling a few feet.

"Latios! Darkrai, Ice Beam on Heracross!" the dark-type fired the icy attack at the sleeping bug, but it managed to evade as it flew down the field. "Don't let it get near! Dream Eater!" Darkrai cast its shadow again, sending it through the bug. But, the bug continued! "What!" Tobias was beyond surprised as the bug grinned, its eyes opening and crashing its glowing horn into Darkrai's chest, sending it back.

"Heracross was awake after your first hit, we just faked sleeping." Ash called to him, grinning. "Sceptile, zero in with Leaf Blade. Heracross, Focus Punch." the bug-type's arms glowed again, swinging at Darkrai as it barely dodged.

"Latios, Luster Purge!" the dragon weakly lifted its head, glaring at the bug as it fired a powerful pink-mixed-white ray toward the moving bug, grazing its wing. The bug grunted in pain, stumbling over in the air. "Darkrai, Ice Beam!" Tobias took the chance as Heracross stumbled, striking the bug in the chest with the powerful ice attack, sending it spinning back to its side. That was when everyone remembered Sceptile moving down the field with leaves glowing as it brought them over its head, bringing them down on Darkrai's head.

"Sceptile, keep up the Leaf Blade. Switch targets often." the lizard struck the dark-type in the chest, then jumped over it and struck its back. The eon pokemon fired another powerful ray at the attacking lizard, but it back-flipped and dodged, spinning as it came back down toward Latios, using the spinning and gravity to increase damage into Latios' back as it cried out in pain.

"Darkrai, Ice Beam!" the dark-type attacked the grass-type, striking its leg with the super-effective move. The lizard grunted, backflipping to the middle of the field, holding its knee. "Now, Dark Void!" it fired another black sphere at the lizard, who remained still, grinning.

"Heracross," Tobias' eyes widened as the lizard jumped, revealing the bug on its feet, firing a Hyper Beam toward the sphere. As it made contact, it instantly burst through the attack and continued toward Darkrai.

"Darkrai, Dark Pulse!" it desperately released the attack, colliding the attacks a few feet away from the dark-type's potential knockout spot.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm. Heracross, Megahorn." the pokemon fired their respective attacks at the legendaries, the bug running on the ground below the leaves due to its injured wing.

"Latios, Luster Purge! Darkrai, Ice Beam!" the legendaries fired their attacks, the two rays spiraling around each other, advancing toward the leaves and bug. Heracross' arms glowed with its horn, crossing its arms in front of its face with its horn above. As the attacks advanced near, the bug jumped over them and extended its wings, quickly flying toward Darkrai. Sceptile jumped into the air, releasing another vortex of leaves and fired a white ray of sunlight in the middle, aimed at Latios. "Latios, Light Screen! Darkrai, brace for it!" Tobias shouted, Darkrai crossing its arms on its chest and drawing its head into its neck, while Latios glowed a brilliant yellow.

"Switch targets. Heracross, deflect attacks on Darkrai and advance on Latios." Heracross moved in front of Sceptile's attacks, bringing its arms and horn in front of it and angled toward Darkrai. The attacks collided, moving the bug back in the air a little before diverting, being sent toward the dark-type and colliding, releasing smoke as it grunted loudly. Heracross grinned, turning and coming down on Latios, forcing its horn and arms into its back, receiving a responding loud cry of pain.

"Latios! Darkrai!" Tobias watched the two legendaries get mercilessly attacked, the verge of double defeat. Darkrai stumbled in the air, glaring at the lizard as Latios' struggled to keep its head up, watching the bug with intent anger.

"They're still going...As expected from legendary pokemon..." Ash muttered, crossing his arms. "...I'm sorry, guys. Heracross, Focus Punch on Darkrai and Sceptile, Dragon Pulse on Latios." Sceptile dashed down the field, charging a blue sphere of dragon power before throwing it at the weakened dragon. Heracross crossed its arms again, bringing them back to the right and swinging at Darkrai's chest like a baseball bat, sending it back into the wall behind Tobias.

"Latios, Luster Purge!" the dragon fired the powerful pink-mixed-white ray at the sphere, erupting it into smoke. Tobias heard Darkrai grunt in pain, looking back to see its body fall to the ground, amazing the crowd with a few gasps. Everyone began muttering about Heracross and Sceptile's power, then Tobias surprisingly recalled the legendary dark-type.

"You did well, old friend..." Tobias muttered, looking at the ball before putting it on his belt. He looked at the field, seeing the grass-type and bug-type back on their side of the field, Latios still on the ground with its head weakly being held in the air. "I commend you, Shadow."

"Thanks, but you're the one who should be commended. You're putting up the biggest fight I might have ever faced." Ash called back, smirking. Tobias smirked, pulling another pokeball.

"You might be amazed at two legendary pokemon...But that's not the end." he tossed his pokeball in the air, casting a blue light on the field. It took form of another floating pokemon, one of a crescent shape with its head splitting into three points. Three half-lunar rings went through its body, one on its back and two in the sides, with paw-like shapes on its front chest.

"A Cresselia..." Ash muttered, smirking. "Then that determines his last pokemon, too..."

* * *

><p>"How does he have a Cresselia!" Max shouted in disbelief, earning a few angry looks from crowd-members.<p>

"Max, quiet down!" his sister scolded, punching the top of his head.

"But Max is right, just who the heck _is_ this guy?" Misty asked, extremely surprised at the trainer who's captured _Three_ legendary pokemon.

"I don't know, Misty...But he'll be beat!" everyone doubled over at the blunette's words. "Let's go, Shadow! Let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Darkrai, Latios, now Cresselia...This guy must have been some sort of legendary-capturing criminal in a last life..." Ash sighed quietly, then smirked. "All the better challenge for me. Sceptile, Dragon Pulse."<p>

"Cresselia, Ice Beam." the psychic-type fired an icy beam, exploding the sphere quickly.

"Heracross, get in with Megahorn!" the bug's horn glowed, hovering down the field.

"Cresselia, use it against Sceptile!" the lunar pokemon's eyes glowed blue, then Heracross was outlined in blue before suddenly being forced back toward Sceptile, slamming its horn into the lizard's chest. It grunted in pain, holding its chest as it looked at the bug. It shook its head frantically, but the lizard nodded before glaring at the lunar pokemon.

"Guys, don't get conflicted now. We can't afford fighting each other at this point." Ash told them, then looked at the grinning lunar pokemon. "We can't use Megahorn, or Cresselia will send him at Sceptile...But, Focus Punch won't do much damage to either Sceptile or Cresselia...That one pokemon sure blocks out all possibilities..." Ash muttered to himself, chuckling lightly.

"Cresselia, Ice Beam!" the ice-type attack moved toward the two, who dodged expertly, striking the ground and raising multiple crystals of ice in their place. Ash's eyes fixed on the ice, grinning.

"That's it." he looked at Sceptile and Heracross, who watched Cresselia intently. "All right, you two, we're going defensive for a while. Heracross, get in close to Latios. Sceptile, keep Cresselia busy." the lizard nodded, jumping around the field, being watched by the psychic-type. Heracross flew into the air, charging down on the weakened eon pokemon.

"Cresselia, send Heracross to the ground!" its eyes glowed blue, then Heracross was slammed into the ground. "Ice Beam!" it charged the ice attack, then fired.

"Sceptile, save Heracross." everyone watched in amazement as Sceptile jumped around the field, then landed by the bug. It quickly grabbed its torso, jumping away again before the ice-type attack struck the ground, raising more crystals. "Sceptile, keep up the movements."

"Cresselia, focus where that lizard will be and Ice Beam!" the pokemon watched the lizard jump around for a few moments, the fired the ice attack, but the lizard saw this and evaded. The psychic-type watched angrily as the lizard taunted it, smirking confidently at the lunar pokemon. "Cresselia, Ice Beam into Psycho Cut!" it fired the ice-type move, then formed a blade of psychic energy on its forehead, swinging its head horizontally, releasing the blade toward the ice attack. It struck down the middle, splitting it into two rays of ice going in perfectly opposite directions. The lizard watched in amazement as the ice nearly struck its leg, but was more surprised as it ducked, narrowly avoiding the psychic-type attack. Two more pillars of ice crystals rose up, the lizard and Ash grinning.

"Perfect." the lizard jumped back to Ash, letting go of the bug who stood on its feet, shaking its head and staring down its opponents. "Heracross, into the air. Sceptile, use the ice pillars for faster movements." the pokemon obeyed, the bug taking flight and lizard jumping around, using the crystals for leg force.

"Bring the bug down!" Cresselia repeated its actions, forcing the bug toward the ground. However, Sceptile saw this and almost blindingly maneuvered under the bug, catching it just before it crashed down. Sceptile continued jumping, then threw Heracross toward the weakened Latios, its horn glowing as it held its head low. "Cresselia, Giga Impact!" the lunar pokemon became cloaked in the powerful aura, floating in front of the bug. It crashed into its side, forced back by the powerful energy, crashing into the ground. Heracross struggled back up, while Sceptile returned to Ash.

"How's the ice?" Sceptile lightly smacked its own hand. "Not bad, huh? All right, that's good." Ash grinned, looking at Heracross. "Sceptile, cover Heracross for a while, I don't want him to really hurt himself." Sceptile nodded, jumping and landing by the bug. The lizard grabbed it, bringing it back to Ash's side. "Take it easy, buddy. All right, Sceptile, get moving." the lizard nodded, jumping on the ice like earlier.

"Cresselia, Psycho Cut!" it launched another psychic blade, but missed.

"Sceptile, pound it apart." as the lizard moved toward another ice formation, it brought its tail around into the side, crashing it into pieces. It spun its body in the air, bringing its tail into the pieces and sending them toward Cresselia. It's eyes went wide, then it turned its head away as the speeding ice pieces pelted its chest.

"Cresselia, Ice Beam on Heracross! Giga Impact on every ice formation!" Tobias commanded, extending his arm. The lunar pokemon fired an icy beam at the bug, then charged in the powerful aura toward the ice formation. Sceptile saw the ice-type attack move toward the bug, giving a nod to itself as it positioned itself to defend the bug. As Sceptile jumped toward it, Cresselia crashed into the ice formation, sending various ice chunks of different sizes toward the general direction of the bug. Cresselia crashed into another one, sending more ice pieces that way. Sceptile watched the ice pieces approach in surprise, knowing even it couldn't dodge all of them. It gave a determined look, closing its eyes and sighing before landing in front of the bug, holding its arms out and blocking the ice, taking the pain to its back. Heracross watched in surprise as the lizard defended it, noticing the pained looked on its face. Sceptile felt the pain stop, turning around but seeing Cresselia charging toward it.

"Sceptile, overhead Leaf Blade. Heracross, cross-over Focus Punch." the two nodded, Sceptile jumping up. Heracross crossed its glowing arms, holding them out and thrusting them into the lunar pokemon's chest as Sceptile came down, bringing its glowing blades into the pokemon's head. The three pushed for dominance, each baring their teeth in anger. "Heracross, add Megahorn. Sceptile, charge Solarbeam." Heracross' horn glowed, bringing it down into the opponent above its arms. Sceptile's bulbs glowed, a white sphere forming in its mouth. "Now." Sceptile knew Ash wouldn't risk a close-range attack like that, so there was only one other reason. Sceptile brought its mouth around the sphere, closing its mouth as it swallowed the energy. It closed its eyes, feeling energy flow through its body. Then its eyes burst open, glowing a light green as its bulbs glowed light green. Sceptile grinned, shouting its name as the blades on its arms glowed bright, extending longer and sharper, forcing the psychic-type back.

"What! Cresselia, charge Ice Beam!" within the energy, the psychic-type safely charged the ice attack, watching Sceptile in amazement and anger. Heracross saw in Cresselia's eyes what it would do, and it couldn't let that happen! "Cut off and fire!" the energy barrier around Cresselia suddenly went down, but Heracross pulled back the exact moment before. Sceptile was surprised to feel itself forced forward, seeing Cresselia floating above, grinning down with the ice-type attack finished charging. It fired the ice-type attack, but it didn't reach Sceptile. Ash watched in amazement, and shock as Sceptile looked above, beyond amazed as the small bug received the ice attack full-power on its back. Heracross looked at Sceptile, smiling weakly before being sent into the ground just beside Sceptile, releasing dust.

"Heracross!" Ash called in support, watching the dust settle around the bug a few feet from him. Heracross rolled over, still smiling weakly as its limbs grew limp.

"Heracross is unable to battle!" the ref announced, raising his flag. Despite the shocking scene playing through everyone's minds, they could recognize the sadness and surprise in the ref's voice. Ash stared at the bug in amazement, noticing Cresselia floating back toward Tobias. Sceptile crouched by the bug, holding its head up as its eyes weakly opened.

"Heracross..." Ash trailed off, smirking as he shook his head in amusement. "...You didn't want Sceptile to get hurt, so you took the attack for him..." Heracross nodded weakly, slowly bringing its hand up to its head, rubbing the side in embarrassment. "...That's truly noble, Heracross. Try not to be so reckless next time, though, okay?" Ash chuckled, joined by the two pokemon. He held the pokeball, recalling the bug and smiling. "I'm proud of you..." he closed his eyes, then his expression turned serious. He stood, looking at the psychic-type across the field. "Sceptile...Let's finish this." the lizard nodded, clenching its fists. Its eyes glowed light green, its bulbs also glowing. "..For Heracross, let's bring him down." the lizard nodded again, baring its teeth.

* * *

><p>"How did Shadow lose a pokemon!" Max shouted in disbelief, holding his head in shock.<p>

"Shut up, Max! That's good!" May punched him again.

"May, stop being such a-"

"Don't even finish that sentence." May glared at Misty, who turned away in fear.

"I can't believe Shadow lost a pokemon..." Brock muttered in shock, staring at the trainer.

"Heracross didn't want its partner to be attacked, so it shielded Sceptile from the Ice Beam...True pokemon teamwork..." Cilan stated wisely, earning a smack from Iris. Hilda approached the group again, sighing.

"Okay, so Hilbert may not be here..." everyone looked at her in surprise and confusion. "What?" by the statue, Hilbert was watching Cresselia through binoculars with the man his age beside him. The two got shivers down their spines, looking at each other.

"You felt it too, didn't you?"

"Sure did, I guess things never change..."

* * *

><p>"All right...Let's do this." Ash held out another pokeball, it opening in his hand and casting the ray of light on the field. It took form of a large land shark, with sharp talons and teeth. "Garchomp, Dragon Pulse." the dragon immediately formed a blue sphere, then looked at its trainer. Ash nodded, the dragon nodded too, taking the sphere into its mouth. It closed its eyes, then bursting open, glowing blue as it felt power spread through its body. Its claws and jet engine-like objects on its head began glowing blue, giving off energy of a flame illuaion. The two newly-energized pokemon glared at the legendaries, their bodies giving off extra energy, then Tobias raised a pokeball.<p>

"Latios." he spoke, recalling the dragon into its pokeball. He smirked, pulling another. "You might have foreseen this, Shadow...but my final pokemon. Go!" he tossed it straight into the air, the light bursting back down and forming another creature on the field. It was almost identical to Latios, but as the blue flash disappeared, it revealed it as red instead of blue and slightly smaller.

"Saw that coming..." Ash muttered to himself, smirking.

* * *

><p>"A latias, too!"<p>

"Shut _up_!"

"Guys, will you stop!" Misty shouted, pushing the two apart.

"Come on, Shadow! You can do it!" Dawn called cheerfully, smiling brightly.

"Dawn...I don't think he's going to win..." everyone looked in surprise, one in agreement, at Iris. She waved her hands nervously. "N-Not that I don't like him, n-not that! It's just..." she sighed lightly, feeling the blunette's intense anger disappear. "...Well, Tobias has four legendary pokemon, and he hasn't even lost any of them."

"Of course he has, he lost Darkrai and Latios!" Dawn retorted.

"No, Dawn, he only recalled them. The ref never called them, so he can still bring them back out." Iris pointed out, making the blunette frown and cross her arms. "Face it, Dawn...He might not win this one..."

"Of course he can! He's Shadow, he's the best!" Dawn told her, smiling again. Everyone sighed, amazed at the blunette's fondness of the trainer.

"But, we haven't even seen Shadow's last pokemon. If he pulls off something even more surprising than any of those four, he might just make it." Max stated, pointing to the two legendaries by Tobias.

"You're right, Max! Come on, let's cheer for him!"

* * *

><p>"Ice Beam!" both the legendaries charged an icy beam, then fired at the duo across the field. The ice circled each other, then combined into one thick ray.<p>

"Dragon Pulse combo." the two formed the blue spheres, then forced them together, forming a bigger sphere, then launched it toward the ice attack. It collided, pushing until both cancelled out. "Sceptile, get on Garchomp's back. Garchomp, take flight." the lizard held onto its back, then the dragon took into the air.

"Latias, after it! Cresselia, Psycho Cut!" the psychic blade was launched into the air, narrowly dodged by Garchomp. The two noticed Latias just ahead of them, grinning. "Latias, Mist Ball and Dragon Claw!" the eon pokemon formed a sphere with smoke swirling inside it, then its claws glowed blue as it attacked the sphere, releasing smoke in the air around them.

"Dive-bomb out of there." the dragon dived, emerging from the smoke. As it came closer to the ground, a pink sphere was seen darting from the smoke above them. "Dodge." the dragon moved, the eon pokemon narrowly pulling up before slamming into the field. "Garchomp, Dragon Pulse. Sceptile, Leaf Storm." the lizard jumped off, releasing a vortex of leaves on the unsuspecting dragon below as Garchomp flew over, firing a blue sphere toward the dragon. As the attacks drew near, the dragon narrowly darted out of the way, appearing again beside Sceptile mid-air.

"Ice Beam." Latias charged the ice-type attack, grinning at the lizard, who was beginning to feel nervous.

"Dragon Rush." Latias was surprised to feel a force in its stomach, being sent up. Sceptile sighed lightly, seeing Garchomp's figure in the blue sphere pushing Latias. Garchomp cut off the sphere energy, its claws glowing brighter than before. It glided around and above Latias, then struck its back, causing it to yell in pain as it was sent to the ground. "Garchomp, Dragon Pulse. Sceptile, Leaf Storm below it." Sceptile brought its body together, diving against the air and landing safely on the ground. It looked up, releasing a vortex of leaves toward the dragons. Garchomp formed another blue sphere, exploding it on Latias' back, sending it faster toward the group and into the leaves. As its body spun, it hit leaves, causing sharp pains in its body as it happened repeatedly before hitting the ground.

"Latias!" Tobias was shocked. How could he weaken and almost defeat his Latias, a legendary pokemon, so _fast_?

"I guess speed isn't a good thing when battling me, I can think against it." Ash called to him, smirking. Tobias smirked, calming down. "Garchomp, Dragon Rush."

"Cresselia, Ice Beam!" the psychic-type fired the ice attack at the diving dragon, cutting off its power as it pulled up, landing by Sceptile and glaring at the lunar pokemon.

"All right, you two, we're gonna have to focus on Cresselia now. If Latias tries to fight back, we'll-" Ash stopped as he saw Latias fire a pink ray at Cresselia, who nodded gratefully and happily. "...Ah...Scratch that. Focus on Latias." the pokemon nodded, Sceptile charging toward them as Garchomp dug into the ground.

"Latias, Psychic! Cresselia, Ice Beam!" Latias' eyes glowed blue, the Sceptile was lfited in the air by an outline of blue. Cresselia charged the icy beam, grinning at the lizard who felt nervous again. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain. But it never came. He opened his eyes to see Cresselia remaining still, hollding the attack in place.

"What's he waiting for...?" Ash wondered, then realized. "Oh, no. Sceptile, Solarbeam!" with its energy boost, the bulbs glowed brightly and Sceptile charged the attack faster than normal. However, Garchomp burst from beneath Cresselia, who avoided it and targeted it with Ice Beam. Just as the psychic-type fired the ice attack, Sceptile fired the Solarbeam at the Ice Beam, intercepting it inches from Cresselia's mouth as it exploded, spreading pain across Cresselia's face. "Garchomp, Dragon Claw." the pokemon and Tobias looked around, expecting Garchomp to be charging at Cresselia. However, it had gone again. Another hole was created as Garchomp emerged behind...Latias, and struck it in the back! Latias fell to the ground, then Garchomp fired another sphere of dragon power at the eon pokemon, erupting it on its back and getting another cry of pain.

"Cresselia, Psycho Cut on Sceptile!" the lizard was still hung in the air, watching as the psychic-type blade was formed for its target.

"Garchomp, Dragon Pulse." Cresselia was surprised to feel pain in its chest as the sphere exploded, sending the lunar pokemon staggering back. "Sceptile, Leaf Storm. Garchomp, Dragon Claw on Latias." Sceptile released the vortex of leaves on the lunar being, causing pain across its entire body as leaves struck it. Garchomp's claw glowed brighter as it brought it down at Latias again, getting another cry of pain. Tobias looked at his pokemon in sympathy, then closed his eyes and decided.

"I'm sorry...Lunar Dance and Healing Wish." the psychic-types hesitated, then nodded. They closed their eyes, giving off a distinct pink glow for a few moments. Their eyes became strained as they felt extremely weak, barely able to lift their heads. Then, they both collapsed. No movement.

"Latias and Cresselia are unable to battle!" the ref announced, raising his flags. Tobias nodded, recalling the psychic-types back. Ash watched in surprise, thinking.

"Lunar Dance and Healing Wish...It's not over..."

* * *

><p>"He won! He won!" Dawn said happily, clapping cheerfully. Everyone sighed.<p>

"Jeez, did you not listen to what I said earlier? Tobias didn't lose his pokemon from before, so he can still battle." Iris sighed again, rubbing her head. Dawn put her finger to her chin in question with an expectant look. "No."

"But, what's the point? His pokemon are really weak from Heracross and Sceptile still, aren't they?" Max asked.

"Normally." everyone looked expectantly at Brock. "Under normal circumstances, yes. But, since he used Healing Wish and Lunar Dance..."

* * *

><p>"He's thought this through..." Ash muttered, smirking as he watched Tobias throw his pokeballs, releasing the legendaries from the beginning. The two hovered weakly, stumbling. Then, they were enveloped in a pink light, giving a brilliant glow. As it faded, the two legendaries grinned.<p>

"You've really pushed me to the limit, Shadow. But I'm afraid it's over here." Tobias smirked.

"With me on top. Sceptile, Leaf Storm." Ash smirked, the lizard released the leaves.

"Latios, cut it off." Latios hovered up further, then gave a single flap of its jet-like wings, cutting the leaves off, falling harmlessly to the ground. "Darkrai, Dark Void!"

"Sceptile, charge Solarbeam. Garchomp, get Sceptile cover." Garchomp dug into the ground as Sceptile's bulbs glowed brighter, jumping into the hole after Garchomp came back out. "Now, Garchomp, Dragon Pulse." Garchomp fired the attack, the two spheres colliding. "Dragon Claw." Garchomp swung its claw, striking the spheres, sending them both back to the legendaries who narrowly avoided the attacks. "Into the hole."

"Latios, cover the holes." the eon pokemon lowered its wings, gliding swiftly across the field past Garchomp and stopping above the holes, grinning as Garchomp couldn't get past. "Darkrai, Ice Beam!"

"Sceptile, break the roof." Tobias was surprised and shocked as Sceptile jumped from the hole with glowing blades, striking Latias in the back as it came back down. It jumped off, landing behind it and fired the Solarbeam from earlier, striking Latios and sending it back toward its trainer. "Swing around with Leaf Blade, you two." the two ran at each other, one arm held out. They both grabbed each other, Sceptile lifting its feet as Garchomp forced the lizard's airweight around, sending it back at a high speed. Sceptile grinned, crossing Leaf Blades as it struck Darkrai, sending it back into the wall behind Tobias.

"Darkrai! Latios, Luster Purge!" the lizard turned around, seeing the dragon charging the colorful ray. Latios suddenly cut off, crying in pain as it fell to the ground, revealing Garchomp grinning with a brightly-glowing claw. "Darkrai, Dark Void on Garchomp!" the dragon looked in surprise to see a black sphere close to it, narrowly avoiding the sleep penalty.

"Garchomp, Dragon Rush on Latios. Sceptile, Leaf Blade on Darkrai." Ash commanded, smirking. the dragon face down, enveloped in blue energy as it divebombed again. Sceptile crossed Leaf Blades again, grinning as it jumped toward Darkrai then side-stepped. Darkrai turned around, but Sceptile was gone. It felt pain in its back, grunting as it swung around to attack the lizard. Again, it felt pain on its back but didn't turn around.

"Sceptile, Leaf Storm." Darkrai looked up, seeing a grinning lizard launching hundreds of sharp leaves at it. Darkrai grunted again, feeling the sharp pains. "Dragon Pulse into Solarbeam." Darkrai held out its arms, feeling the sphere explode on its palms instead of face, releasing smoke. It floated up, charging at the gecko. But it was gone. Darkrai felt a bad feeling, looking down and seeing Sceptile firing a powerful white ray at it from the ground below. It collided, sending the dark-type back.

"Darkrai, get back in with Ice Beam! Latios, Light Screen!" the dragon weakly recovered, glowing a brilliant yellow.

"Special attacks...All right, Dragon Claw." Garchomp grinned, coming down on the eon pokemon.

"Giga Impact." the dragon faced upward, enveloped in a powerful pink aura, charging upward.

"Dragon Rush in crossover Dragon Claw." Garchomp became enveloped in a blue energy, crossing its brilliantly-glowing claws inside as it charged down on the eon pokemon. They collided, pushing for dominance. Garchomp bared its teeth, growling loudly as it focused a large amount of power, glowing brighter as Latios felt itself being pushed back.

"Cut off and Luster Purge!" Latios cut off, moving back as Garchomp pushed downward past it. It charged the pink and white ray on the unsuspecting dragon, then felt a pain in its backside. It turned around, seeing Sceptile on its back, grinning. Its eyes widened, surprised at the stealthness of the lizard. The lizard's arms ceased glowing, then it raised its claws and formed a blue sphere. Shouting its name, it brought it into the dragon's back, erupting it toward the ground. Sceptile landed safely, while Garchomp stood beside it, emerging from the now-made crater.

"Latios! Darkrai!" the legendaries struggled to their hovering positions, stumbling in the air. "Darkrai, Dark Void! Latios, Luster Purge!" the two pokemon charged their attacks, holding them.

"He's waiting for a closer target...Let's give it to them. Both of you, move in." the duo nodded, charging in while making evasive movements.

* * *

><p>"What? Can't he see it's a trap?" Iris asked in disbelief, watching the two move in quickly.<p>

"He obviously can, he must have something planned." Cilan pointed out.

"That's Shadow, always planning four steps ahead." everyone jumped, looking over at Zo. She looked back, confused. "What?"

"How long have you been here?" Misty asked, holding her chest as it beat rapidly.

"About...the whole battle. Seriously, you never noticed me?" Zo asked in surprise. Everyone shook their heads.

"I guess you're like a shadow, Zo. Get it? I said Shadow, like your friend." Max said, laughing at his own poor joke. Everyone sweat-dropped.

"Uh...Yeah..." Zo acted along, laughing nervously as she rubbed the back of her head, looking away. "Although, I'm more of the darkness than a shadow..."

* * *

><p>"Dragon Claw." Garchomp dashed in front, clawing the black sphere apart. It crossed its claws, enduring the powerful psychic-type attack before cutting it off. "Solarbeam and Dragon Claw." the duo charged, their respective body parts glowing. Sceptile opened its mouth, eating the sphere again. The lizard's bulbs and eyes glowed green again, feeling something similar to a strengthened sugar rush.<p>

"Darkrai, Dark Pulse!" the duo dodged it. The two advanced closer, grinning as they brought back their attacking claw/leaves. "Dodge it!" The two hovered into the air, but Garchomp jumped and quickly moved above Latios, striking it back down. It crashed into Darkrai, sending them both to the ground. Garchomp threw a blue sphere at them, erupting smoke as they cried/grunted in pain.

"Garchomp, time for the end." the dragon grinned, bringing its claws to its chest. Its claws and chest began glowing orange, a swirl of energy forming on itself as it grinned, snapping its eyes open.  
>"Draco..." the dragon brought its claws up, opening its mouth and firing a powerful orange sphere of dragon energy. It continued up for a few moments, then it stopped.<br>"..._Meteor_!" the sphere burst, releasing mutliplt orange rays of power down toward the battlefield. The legendary pokemon watched in surprise as the power came down toward them, then they closed their eyes and smiled as the powerful attack struck all around them, some hitting them physically. Smoke erupted all over the field, covering what had happened to the legendaries. Sceptile jumped up out of the smoke, backflipping toward Ash, landing safely by him. Garchomp flew back, landing by him as well. Ash nodded to the two pokemon, waiting to see the results of the opponents. After a minute or two, the smoke began to clear. As the smoke was still thin, two figures were barely seeable through the smoke. Ash frowned as the smoke parted, revealing the two grinning legendary pokemon. Moments passed as Ash didn't want to attack them again after the intense dragon-type move, then the pokemon gave a single nod. Ash smiled, giving a single nod. Their grins softened, becoming smiles. Then they collapsed to the ground together, the final time.

"Darkrai and Latios are unable to battle! This match victory goes to Shadow!"

**END**

**Told you it was long. Next chapter, I will give a little moer cameo of some minor characters, including the man with Hilbert. Anyway...**

**Who is the man with Hilbert? Who does he know?  
>What is May's reaction to Ash defeating Tobias?<br>Will Hilda find Hilbert?  
>What has Leaf been doing? What is she planning for Ash?<br>When will Zo battle? Against who?**

**R&R for opnions. I have faint ideas of these answers, but hey, your ideas are probably better than mine. All right, taking a nap. Peace in.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Sorry for those who were expecting a cool Tobias team, but I couldn't think of anything. Those four seemed more believable, minus the whole legendary-not-hacking thing. Anyway, here's the next installment.**

"Holy..."

"Crap..."

Everyone was in silence. Not the slightest sound was heard in the area, all eyes wide in amazement as the legendary pokemon lie on the field, fainted. Minutes passed as the two trainers remained still, then Tobias smirked as he closed his eyes. Ash smirked as well, the two moving simultaneously onto the field to their pokemon's sides.

"Well done, my partners." Tobias spoke, crouching at eye-level with the pokemon barely holding up their heads. "You've done the greatest job in a long time, rest as long as you need." the pokemon nodded, feeling themselves disappear into the beams of light. Across the field, a similar scenario was playing minus disappointment.

"Great job, you two." Ash told the lizard and dragon, who grinned back. Ash took his two pokeballs, holding them up. "Don't go bragging to the others about this." Ash chuckled, joined by the two before disappearing into the spheres. Ash returned his pokeballs to his belt, looking to see Tobias walking closer. As Tobias stopped in front of him, Ash smirked. "Not bad."

"Not bad at all, you are certainly a trainer not to be messed with." Tobias spoke, smirking as he held out his hand, emerging from beneath the red cloak. "I give you my sincerest respect and support in this tournament." Ash grinned.

"I suppose if I lose, you'll come after me?" Ash asked, the two breaking into light laughter. "Don't worry, I'll run this tournament into the ground." Ash took his hand, giving a single shake before the two broke.

"You know, you very well remind me of someone." Ash looked in the man's eyes. "The young boy with a pikachu...You remind me of him, but I wonder how he's doing nowadays..." Ash lowered his head a little, closing his eyes.

"I'm sure he's doing very well," Ash told him, smirking to himself. "...But, he would be disappointed in you for losing to me." Tobias' brow twitched.

"Well, despite his battle with me at the Sinnoh League, I'm sure he wouldn't have the easiest time with you." Ash's lips formed a genuine smile.

"Yeah, I guess so." Ash turned, giving a wave before leaving. "Take care, Tobias. Maybe next time, we'll have the greatest battle of this time." Ash told him, smirknig to himself as he left the arena. Tobias remained on the field, smirking to himself.

"Who was he trying to fool..."

* * *

><p>"Man...I can't believe I did it..." the raven-haired trainer muttered, holding in his excitement as he continued toward the trees. As he cleared through, entering the clearing, he put his pack against the tent. The mouse crawled out, frowning as it moved to the boy's feet. "Can you believe it, Pi? We beat Tobias!" the mouse's cheeks sparked, then the next moment cleared the boy of his happy thoughts. "Pi! What's that for!"<p>

"_Chupi kachu, Pikapi!_" the mouse sparked again.

"Oh, I guess that's understandable. I'm sorry I didn't let you settle it, Pi, but battles aren't all about revenge. Besides, it's way too early for you to be out yet. Third round, then you can travel anywhere and anyhow you want." the mouse smiled, nodding in agreement. "Alright, then."

"You never cease to amaze me, Mr. master." Ash turned around, watching the girl enter the clearing, smiling with her arms crossed. "But, you still have one pokemon that's not in full agreement with this."

"Arceus, if I hear this one more time, Zo...!" Ash sighed heavily. Zo moved her hands to her hips, frowning as she moved to the tent.

"All right, but don't be surprised if a zorua is seen rampaging the area." Ash frowned as the girl disappeared in the tent.

"Sucks she's serious..." Ash muttered to himself, frowning. He thought back to the legendaries hitting the field, then remembered. "Oh, I should probably get these guys to the center." Ash pictured his three pokemon, leaving the clearing and heading for the center. Zo poked her head out.

"Hey! At least _consider_ trying to help me feel better!"

* * *

><p>"Ah, Shadow. I just heard a group of trainers speaking of your recent battle, and I must say I am well beyond impressed." the nurse said cheerfully, smiling brightly.<p>

"Thanks, Nurse Joy. I need these these guys feeling better." Ash said, pulling out his three pokeballs.

"No problem, I would be more than happy to heal pokemon of such high rank and class." she took the spheres, pulling out a tray and placing them in it. "They should be ready later today, and no worries, I'll keep the closest eyes on them." the nurse winked, disappearing into the back room. Ash thought for a moment, then shrugged as he left the building. As he stepped outside, he felt himself smile. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, moving toward the trees. Incidentally, he bumped into someone on the way.

"Hey, watch it." Ash's eyes slightly widened in surprise, looking at the one he bumped. There was no doubt. "I suggest you watch where you're going, so you don't hit and annoy anyone else." the boy spoke coldly, glaring at him.

"No problem." Ash replied, smirking. The boy eyes him for a few moments, then his eyes widened.

"You...You're Shadow..." Ash looked into his cold eyes, giving a nod. "...Well, in that case...I'll watch closer next time. I was hearing of your recent victory over Tobias." Ash gave a nod again. "...Surprising...You must be stronger than they say, then."

"Not per say, but no one should judge power by appearance," Ash responded, turning away. He took a few steps away, then stopped and looked over his shoulder. "May fate bring our battling paths together, then. I'll look forward to it." the purple-haired trainer nodded, smirking back. Ash continued again, disappearing through the brush. The purple-haired boy's smirk remained on his face as he started on his way again, but something soft got in his way, followed by a _thud_.

"Ow! Watch it, moron!" the girl sat up, rubbing her backside. Her angry eyes snapped up, then turned to surprise as her eyes met the boy's.

"You..."

"_Paul_?"

"Who did you expect?" the boy asked sarcastically, looking away.

"Ha ha, you're hilarious." the blunette rolled her eyes, leaning back supported by her arms. "Ahem?"

"What?" he looked down, meeting her expectant gaze. "Oh, for the love of mesprit..." he muttered, giving a sigh as he held his hand out. Dawn smiled, taking it and pulling herself up. "You really should be more independent."

"And you fun." Dawn responded, smiling. Paul eyed her cheerful expression for a few moments, then she looked at him in confusion. "What? Why are you staring at me?" she felt nervous, watching the boy stare at her.

"...You've grown up." Dawn tilted her head in confusion, then her cheeks turned red as she moved her arms across her chest.

"I should have known! You pulled the tough and emotionless kid act, then you could ogle girls all you want without being suspected!" Dawn pointed at him, then moved her hand back to her chest.

"Okay, I guess I've been wrong before." Dawn stumbled over, glaring at him angrily.

"What's that suppose to mean, then!" she demanded, watching the boy stare at her in confusion. "Okay, if you're playing that way...I guess you won't mind if I do this, then."

"What?" he asked plainly, arching his eyebrow.

"That fall hurt my back, I think I need a little stretch..." she arched her back, smirking to herself as she knew this would pump out her chest. Paul noticed her starting to lean backward, then closed his eyes and looked away. Dawn quickly leaned forward, but was surprised as she noticed the boy not staring at her.

"Indecent public acts like that is what usually starts underage activities, you know." the Sinnoh-native told her.

"All right, so you're not exactly the pervert. But, I'll get you somehow." Dawn told him, smiling. Paul paused for a moment, then opened one eye carefully. Seeing her looking at him, he opened his other and turned his head. "So, I know you're in the tournament, then. What were you doing before deciding to knock over innocent girls?"

"You're the least likely person I can think of being innocent. I _was_ heading nearby to train, so if you don't mind..." Dawn frowned, watching him walk away from her. She pondered for a moment, the hurried after him. In the area, a few boys' eyes were replaced by hearts, their faces red and a stream of red liquid running down their lips.

"Hey!" Paul sighed, not slowing down or turning at all. "Jeez, jerk. So, I'm on your mind, then?" he noticed the blunette lean forward, looking back at him.

"What makes you think that? Some stupid girl-logic thing?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"No, and they're not stupid. You said I'm the least likely you would think of being innocent, so that means I would be on your mind." Dawn smiled.

"No." her smile 180'd. "As we know, I'm not a social-media freak, going about making friends. Thanks to stupid Ketchum, I had the misfortune of meeting you." Dawn felt her face heat up again, but not in embarrassment.

"What was that!" she demanded, throwing her fist at him. Surprisingly, he moved back and caught her hand.

"I wouldn't try fighting, being a girl and all." Dawn glared at him as he smirked, letting go of her hand. She frowned, crossing her arms and looking away.

"Still insulting as ever, you never really change." she said calmly.

"As much as I hate it...You're actually wrong." Dawn opened one eye, looking back at him. "Ever since I met Ketchum, I hated him for being happy and playful with his pokemon. Then at the Sinnoh League all those years ago, he beat me, and with my own pokemon, no less. I watched his battle with Tobias," she opened her other eye, looking at him. "I watched as he lost over half his team to a single pokemon. After defeating Darkrai, he lost to Latios. Despite his training methods, he managed to defeat two legendary pokemon in battle."

"But, he lost..." Dawn finished, frowning as she looked at the ground.

"Yes, but _two_ legendary pokemon. At the price of six, that's still pretty impressive for someone still in youth." Paul told her. "After that, I thought about our differences a little more. I finally realized power isn't everything, but a matter of leverage."

"Leverage?" Dawn asked.

"Having a loving connection with your pokemon makes them want to battle for you, wanting to impress you. That's the will to keep fighting, continuing to get up for the stake of your trainer." Paul explained, noticing the girl close her eyes and sigh.

"That's pretty much the same as what you were like before. Having a pokemon fight to its last breath." she told him.

"But, now I let the pokemon decide instead of force it." Paul told her, his brow giving a twitch.

"No difference, if you ask me." she held her hands out, giving an exhausted sigh. "How far away are you training, anyway?"

"How far are you following me?" Dawn felt her face heat up, looking away.

"...I'm bored." she glanced back at him, noticing his non-believing expression. "I am!"

"Sure, that's why I'm not training." she looked at him in confusion. "I guess you really haven't changed, then. I've just been walking and you're following me, but have you bothered to check if I have my pokemon?" Dawn tilted her head in confusion, then it made sense.

"So if you don't have your pokemon...and you're still going somewhere...What _are_ you doing?" she asked, looking at him carefully. He stopped, smirking as he turned around. "Hey!"

"I guess blondes aren't the worst, then." Dawn felt angry again. "I was just testing you. Before we unfortunately met, I was simply heading back to my room." the blunette stopped, too surprised to move.

"Wait! Then...What do you mean, 'testing me'?" she asked. He continued walking, but looked back over his shoulder.

"How long you would stay near me." Paul smirked to himself, chuckling quietly as he headed for the center. The blunette stood fazed, staring in the direction he had disappeared. She shook her head, then frowned.

"...If it's mind-games you want, then you'll get my worst..."

* * *

><p>"Hey, has anyone seen Dawn?" Max asked, looking around.<p>

"Probably stalking Shadow." Iris said, giving a sigh.

"Speaking of that, how do you think he did it?" everyone looked at Misty. "I mean, seeing a legendary pokemon is a rare thing...but _defeating_ a legendary in battle? Not to mention, _two_?" the redhead asked quizzically, not believing her own words.

"Yeah, it is hard to believe...But, I guess we don't even know him very well." Brock told them.

"Heck, I do." everyone looked at Hilda, arms crossed and eyes closed. "I've known him for a few years now, and I know this isn't even the biggest thing he's had happen to him."

"What! He's had something more exciting than this!" Max exclaimed, jaw agape.

"Yeah, but I know he would hunt me for telling anyone about his private life. Speaking of hunting..." she walked away, scanning through the crowds.

"Poor Hilbert..." Max muttered, shaking his head. Nearby, two boys by the statue felt shivers up their spines.

"You felt it."

"Yep. Let's get the heck outta here."

"Couldn't agree more."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe he's here, too...this is just <em>too<em> perfect..." Ash said to himself, scanning the battle board. "Wait, how did I end up back in here?" he left the center, shaking his head with a sigh. "Sometimes, I just don't understand time and space..." he muttered, then something caught his attention. Everyone in the area looked at the nearest PA announcer, listening for the broadcast.

"Attention, participants and eager battle fans! Being in the second round, the undisclosed battle between champions Alder and Cynthia has finished! The lucky winner of this tournament will have the very rare, and once-in-a-lifetime free chance to battle...The champion of Unova, Alder!"

**END**

**Well, Paul's in the tournament, too. Seems he's started a little war-wage with Dawn, wonder how that will play out. And kudos to those who noticed the Mesprit joke. "For the love of Mesprit" makes sense, since Mesprit is the being of emotion.  
><strong>

**Will Zo really do what she said?  
>Where has Hilbert and his friend run to hide? Will Hilda find them?<br>How will Leaf congratulate Ash?  
>What will unfold in the war of Dawn and Paul?<strong>

**All will be attempted to be answered in the next installment, so don't miss it!**


	25. Chapter 25

**My internet sucks, it just sucks. Internet access one minute, no internet access next minute! I am **_**this**_** close to buying my own wireless router, but that would waste my money, so I'm trying my hardest not to lose it and run to Walmart. Which is a long way's away.**

**Don't own Pokemon, characters, lands or creatures themselves.**

"Alder, huh..." the raven-haired trainer smirked, looking toward the large stadium.

"Alder? He beat Cynthia?" Max exclaimed, surprised.

"Max, they're both champions. Not like we could really order the two." Brock told the boy.

"Yeah, but...it's still awesome!" he pumped his fist in the air, smiling.

"But you lost." Iris pointed out, smirking. The boy lowered his head.

"So did you." he retorted.

"But I battled Shadow, we all know he's beyond strong." Iris defended, crossing her arms and turning away.

"I still say he should have lost." the brunette said calmly, frowning. "I mean, look at him! He's almost exactly like Paul!" she nearly shouted.

"Speaking of Paul, you won't believe this." everyone looked over, seeing the blunette approaching them. "I just learned a few things."

* * *

><p>"How long are we hiding like this...?" the boy asked.<p>

"Until Hilda decides to let it blow over." the second boy responded, peering around the corner.

"We both know her, Hilbert." the two sighed.

"Yeah, she never lets her targets get away without treatment...But, maybe this time there will be some kind of mercy rule..." Hilbert stated, praying for safety.

"_There_ you are!" the boys' eyes widened, their heads snapping up. Surprised, they saw the victorious expression of the brunette, grinning down on them. "I told you, you can't hide from me!"

"Hilda, can't you let him off with a warning this time around?" the glasses-wearing boy asked. Hilda looked at him, her expression turning to surprise.

"Cheren? What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised to see the boy.

"You didn't expect to not see me at this tournament, did you?" he asked, standing from behind the crates.

"Well...I guess I never thought of it..." Hilda scratched the back of her head, embarrassed. "Wait, where's Bianca?"

"Who knows, I could never catch up with her." he shrugged. "Anyway, what exactly did Hilbert do?" Hilda glared back at him.

"Indecency." she responded.

"Oh, come on! Shadow and Zo said that for _fun_!" he pleaded, jumping behind Cheren. She continued to glare at him.

"All right, I'm out." Cheren stepped aside, gesturing to the man. "I can't help you, sorry. Good luck." Hilbert's jaw dropped as he watched the boy walk away.

"Traitor!" Hilbert waved his fist, then gulped as he heard the familiar sound of cracking knuckles.

* * *

><p>"So you're back already..." Zo sighed, watching the trainer move toward the tent. He sat down beside the tent.<p>

"Zo, how would you like to be in the next battle?" she stared at him, surprised. "I feel like I've been too hard on you. Tell you what, I'll let you battle in every match from now on."

"Ash, that's awesome!" she jumped out of the tent, sitting on her legs in front of him. "You don't know how much that means! Thank you so much!"

"Don't mention it, I feel like I owe you that much." then, he smiled. Zo stared at his lips, then her mood lowered. "Wait..."

"Zo, wake up. Come on, don't be stubborn."

"Dammit all..." Zo muttered, opening her eyes as she yawned, seeing Ash looking down at her. "I was having the best, but most unlikely dream."

"Sure." Ash said, sitting down.

"I suppose you're not here to let me battle?" she asked, resting her head back down on her arms.

"No, what gave you that idea? There's no reason I'm really here, it's our campsite." he stated, feeling the mouse crawl onto his legs.

"Point taken...So, where's your girlfriend, Leaf?" she asked, smirking.

"She's not a girlfriend, it's two different facts. Friend, girl, two words." Ash told her, glaring. "Anyway, I don't really know. I haven't seen her since yesterday." he said calmly.

"You don't seem upset or anything." Zo said, eying him suspiciously.

"Why should I be? We're all free to do what and be where we want." he responded, closing his eyes.

"And that's why you're choosing to make enemies with your old friends." Zo retorted, giving a yawn.

"I'm not making enemies."

"Have you seen the that brown-haired girl looks at you? It's like you murdered her family, or robbed her."

"That's exaggerating, Zo. Besides, May was never the most open person."

"I'm sure she was before this tournament. On top of that, she's probably pissed for the whole 'Ash' thing at the center, don't you think?"

"Probably, but she needs reality."

"Like you don't need it..." she muttered, rolling her eyes as her lids closed.

"What's that mean?" he asked, looking at her but no answer. "Fine, be stubborn." he sighed, standing again and leaving the clearing. Zo opened one eye, watching him leave.

"May and Leaf...This is going to be great..."

* * *

><p>Ash wandered the large lobby, looking through the crowds of people as they entered and exited the stores. He gave a sigh. "This is going to be a while..." he muttered, shaking his head as he continued searching.<p>

"Leaf, I have to ask you something." May said, putting a shirt on the rack as she looked at the other brunette.

"I don't know how you got here." she responded.

"What? That's not it. I was wondering...Why do you hang around Shadow?" Leaf cringed, looking at the brunette.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Should she tell her?

"Well, he's a total jerk and and only seems to enjoy power over others and in battles. In other words, he's the worst kind of guy." Leaf sweat-dropped.

"You're not shy." she said, giving a nervous laugh.

"Of course not, it's the truth." May crossed her arms, looking adoringly at a nearby pink skirt. "Anyway, you didn't answer."

"Well..." Leaf trailed off, rubbing the fabric of a blue t-shirt. "...He's a good guy, you just have to be patient."

"That's sounds like a pokemon saying." May stated, rolling her eyes.

"That's my answer. He does seem like a jerk and all, at first, but talking to him and getting him to open up..." Leaf trailed off again, looking at the ground.

"That's another thing. How _did_ you get him to open up?" Leaf cringed again, feeling nervous and on-the-spot. "Not to sound hypocritical, but I don't understand it. You met him and talked, like, twice and somehow made him open up, where we _still_ can't. Minus Hilda, Hilbert or Zo, of course." May picked out a red shirt, rubbing it against her face, smiling.

"Well that's not something I can really answer, but I guess even Shadow has weaknesses." Leaf responded, smiling at her.

"We both have brown hair...We're both hot...We're both nice..." Leaf's face turned red, watching her think out loud.

"I wouldn't exactly say 'hot'..." Leaf muttered, giving nervous laughter.

"Come on, it's true. Look at us." May gestured to their bodies, only making Leaf more uncomfortable. "Anyway, I can't really think of a difference between me and you. We both seem physically the same."

"That's strange, must be some weird Shadow thing." Leaf quickly responded, wanting to get off the subject.

"Actually...Have you met Shadow before this? Maybe that's it." Leaf gave a quiet, unnoticeable sigh.

"No, I've never met him before. No one like him, actually." she answered, hoping she would dismiss the topic.

"Are you sure? It could have been an old fling you've forgotten about." Leaf's face heated up again, quickly moving out of the store. "Hey! What is it?" Leaf stopped. If she ran, May would know something's up. She turned around.

"Uh...Sorry. I think I'm done with clothes for a while." she told her, surprised as May moved her hand to her forehead.

"No fever...Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine, I'm just...tired." Leaf said, waving it off as she moved away. May followed.

"How I envy you..." Leaf looked at her, surprised. "You made friends with him so quickly...so easily..." May stared at the ground.

"Wait...You only want to be his friend? Then why do you act like you hate him, always fighting with him?" Leaf asked, confused. May sighed lightly.

"...I don't know myself, I only wonder. I guess...seeing him beat Tobias, four legendary pokemon, so easily...I don't want someone like that as an enemy." May stated, frowning. "It's confusing, but I was thinking during his battle...He is a jerk, but he was only mean to my friends during our first encounters. Now, he's friendly with Max, Dawn and everyone else. And..."

"And?" Leaf inquired, looking at the nervous brunette.

"...And...I can't help but feel he sees me differently." Leaf felt sympathetic. "...Everyone's so nice to him, admiring his pokemon's strength and strategy...Then there's me, cheering for Tobias to win." Leaf frowned, putting her hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah, I was on the other side of the crowd as you guys, I couldn't seem to move. May, it's not too late to make amends." she told her, giving a sympathetic smile.

"Yes, it is. I've been so mean to him, always fighting...He probably thinks I'm a naturally-angry jerk now." May's voice cracked. "...I just want to go back in time, change how we first met..."

"Finding Celebi or Dialga is hard to do, but that's not even necessary, May. Just find him, talk to him, I'm sure he will understand completely." Leaf told her, smiling. May looked over at her, frowning.

"It's too late for that..." she replied, giving a quiet sigh. "He's going to hate me forever..."

"No, he will not. May, I made friends with him in one simple conversation. You can do the same, if you put your heart to it." Leaf reassured her, smiling. May continued to look at her, surprised.

"...I can't...My heart will only tell me to fight..." May responded weakly, frowning as she felt her chest sink in.

"Funny thing, the heart."

The two brunettes turned around, surprised. Ash stood a few steps away, arms crossed wearing a genuine smile. "No matter how much you think or do, it always manages to stay together."

"What's that supposed to mean?" May asked, giving a slight glare.

"I'm saying, hearts never truly break." he stepped closer. "Breakups, fights, it survives it all." he continued smiling, stopping in front of them.

"Shadow, what are you doing here?" Leaf asked.

"Truth be told, I was looking for you." Leaf's cheeks heated up, looking away. Ash looked at May. "...Seems I found better than I hoped."

"What are you saying?" May asked defensively.

"No need to be defensive, I'm not in the mood for a fight today." May's glare softened. "Zo was asking for Leaf, but you know how lazy she is." Ash stated, giving a sigh.

* * *

><p>"A...choo!" Zo cursed quietly, rubbing her nose. "How do you sneeze in your sleep, anyway...?"<p>

* * *

><p>"Why did Zo want me?" the brunette asked.<p>

"Don't know." she gave a funny look. "I don't come bearing all answers."

"So you're a messenger, then?" Leaf crossed her arms, smiling. Ash frowned.

"No, I don't understand why others don't seem to like me being hospitable and social." he said.

"You make people feel awkward, that's why." Leaf giggled, moving her hands to her mouth.

"That's nice, I feel so blessed and trouble-free now." Ash said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. May looked back and forth between the two, feeling sad.

"_Why does it seem so easy...?"_ she thought, frowning. "_...There's something behind this, it has to be..."_

"Why so quiet, May?" she blinked, looking at Ash in surprise. "You seem troubled, I would be a heartless and cold guy to ignore it, wouldn't you say?" he laughed lightly, surprising May further.

"..."

"Do I make you uncomfortable, then? Apparently, I have that effect." he glanced at Leaf, who began laughing again. "May, I know we haven't exactly had the best history..."

"Hey! Shadow, over here!" the trio looked over, recognizing the voice. Beyond surprised, all eyes widened as they saw a different-looking Dawn smiling as she moved toward them. She wore sky-blue shorts ending halfway down her thighs, showing off her slender legs. Her top had changed to a pink tank top with three buttons toward the top, all open to leave little to anyone's imagination. The girls stared in surprise, but Ash had now focused on the ground giving a few fake coughs, quickly wiping his upper lip and rubbing his hand on the side of his pants.

"Dawn?" May finally managed to get out. "What...What are you _doing_!"

"What?" she asked innocently, moving past them as she stopped in front of Ash. "Hi, Shadow! You were amazing against Tobias, that was the best battle I've ever seen!"

"Uh...yeah..." he responded, giving another cough. Leaf and May noticed this, giving simultaneous sighs. "So, Dawn...You, uh..."

"Look great? Thanks!" she smiled, hopping back and letting her chest freely bounce. Ash felt dizzy, while men around them tripped over benches, others, fountains, etc.

"Dawn, why are you dressed like that?" May asked, grabbing the girl's arm. "I can't let you be seen like this, we're going back to the room."

"No way!" Dawn took her arm back, looking at her. "I'm competing, and I plan on winning!" Dawn's happy expression turned serious as she grinned, her eyes giving off heat.

"Ah...Well, no more competition." May said, giving a sigh.

"No way! Look around, if this happens then I'll definitely win! I just have to find Paul and it'll be over!" Dawn smiled again, walking away.

"Wait, _Paul_?" May asked in surprise, looking back at her. Dawn looked back, nodding.

"I just have to talk to him, then I'll change back! No need to worry!" she waved, quickly dashing off. As she passed men, their noses oozed red liquid as they fell over.

"Paul...What is she thinking...?" May muttered, staring in the direction she disappeared.

"Lucky son of...What?" Ash stopped his sentence, noticing Leaf look at him.

"What were you saying?" she asked threateningly.

"Nothing, I was just saying...ah..." he put his hands behind his head, looking away as he tried to think of an excuse.

"I'll let you off _now_, but if you ever finish that sentence, I will know." Ash felt nervous, then sighed as her expression turned to a smile. "Anyway, I'm off to find her. I'll keep her in check, just in case." before May could complain, she dashed off after the blunette, leaving the two in awkward silence.

"Huh..." Ash muttered, shaking his head in amusement. May stood frozen. "...May?"

"Yeah?" she responded, looking at him. Ash noticed her look was different than the regular glare, but it felt...normal.

"Well...What were you talking to Leaf about?" he asked, mentally cursing himself.

"You already know, there's no reason to say it again." Ash smiled.

"...It never hurts, you know." he chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"...You're lying..." he looked at her, confused. "...You don't mean it, you're just drawing me in to make fun of me..."

"No, I'm only like that to Hilbert and Hilda." she looked at him. "No fights, no teasing, just a conversation. We haven't really talked enough for you to know that, I suppose." he stated, walking past her. May watched him, then he turned around and stopped. "Planning on standing still all day? Come on." he gestured for her to follow, then continued again. May felt her lips perk up, then hurried after him.

"Tell me something." he looked at her. "You act cold to new people you meet, is that some sort of privacy thing?" Ash thought for a few moments, then shrugged.

"I don't know, really, it's sort of instinct for me. I haven't been in real society for a while." Ash told her.

"Where have you been, then?" she looked at him, confused.

"Ah...Around." she stared for a few moments, then began giggling. Ash looked at her funny.

"That seems like a lie." Ash looked away, hoping she would dismiss it. "...But, I guess that's just you."

"I feel insulted." Ash said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as she began laughing again.

"No, you're just different. You're a cold and private guy who doesn't like friends." May told him, Ash sweat-dropped.

"Not sure that makes me feel better..." she laughed more, smiling.

"You know, Shadow...I've been thinking about what you said, if Ash came back..." he looked at her. "...I guess you were right. I would be mad and happy to see him, but after five years, he could have changed drastically or not at all." May explained, closing her eyes. Ash stared at her for a moment, then looked forward again as she opened her eyes, turning toward him with a smile. "...Thank you."

"No problem, glad to help. So, how does this change...us?" he asked uncomfortably, not wanting to sound desperate of creepy. She laughed quietly, still smiling.

"...Friends." Ash gave a nod, holding his hand out to her. She looked at it, shaking her head. Ash was surprised as she put her arms around him, pulling herself closer to him. He felt her move her chest against his, making him look away and think pure thoughts. She pulled back, smiling at him. "Put the past behind us and take life head-on, right?" she gave a wink, walking away happily. Ash watched her, surprised as she had quoted himself.

"How did she hear that...?" he shrugged his shoulders, moving in the opposite direction toward the exit. He thought of Leaf holding Dawn back, then shook his head before it went further. "These people are going to kill me, one way or another..." he muttered, shaking his head. Near the exit, on the platform above, a young man watched down on Ash as he supported himself with a large stick he had coincidentally found.

"I'll get you back, Ash...Now I know just how..." he began laughing, then stopped as he groaned, moving his hand to his badly-bruised cheek. "Ow, it hurts..."

**END**

**I'm sorry for those expecting a great story, I know you're probably wondering if it's advance- or further-. I don't know myself.**

**I know I had kind of beaten on May and Ash, making May seem like a bad B. Now it's going to be more calm, happy and sweet between the two. But, to the extent of Leaf.**

**The story may seem like a variety of small short stories, but I'm trying to make it all lace together. But without small stories, the big ones would fail.**

**Dawn and Paul now have a small competition, so that will go a few chapters. With the details of the competition, you can tell it has romantic hints between the two, so I'll try to make that enjoyable.**

**Despite this, I hope you continue to read! I've received negative comments, and I would understand if you cut off, but you may miss something you'd wish to read. Yeah, think twice.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Leaf or May, who do you think will come out on top?**

**Don't own Pokemon, you know it to be true.**

Ash stepped into the clearing, smirking to himself. His smirk disappeared as he saw Zo standing in front of him with Hilda, both arms crossed. "...Ah..."

"What did you do?" Hilda asked, stepping toward him and giving a expectant look.

"...It would help to answer if I knew what you're talking about..." Ash stated, feeling uneasy from the looks being given.

"What did you do with May and Leaf?" Zo asked, stepping in front of him as Hilda had. He gave a surprised look, taking a step back.

"What? What are you talking about?" he asked, trying to act cool about it. How had they known already?

"We know you were with them at the mall, then Leaf left and you were alone with May." Zo told him. Ash stared in disbelief. "We have our sources, Ash. We're not stupid, you know." Zo stuck her tongue out playfully. Hilda sweat-dropped, thinking back to how they found out.

_Flashback_

_"Go fish."_

_"Man..." Zo sighed, drawing another card from the pile. Hilda smiled. "I'm gonna win."_

_"No way." Zo replied, frowning as she looked intently at her cards. "So, what happened to Hilbert? I haven't seen him in a while."_

_"Oh, he's probably hanging around, you know how he is. Quilfish?" Zo sighed, taking a card from her hand and giving it to Hilda. She smiled victoriously, placing her new pair on the grass._

_"Well, I guess you must have caught him. I mean, you wouldn't have given up on punishing him for any lame reason. Carvahna?" Zo asked, giving a hopeful look. Hilda shook her head, disappointing the pokemon girl as she drew another card._

_"Speaking of punishment, where's Ash?" Hilda asked, looking at her cards._

_"How do you get Ash out of punishment?" Hilda shrugged. "Okay, then. I think he went to the mall, looking for Leaf or something. I tried having Pikachu help me, but he's lazy as his trainer." Zo pointed to the tent, a quiet snoring sound heard from within. "...Sharpedo."_

_"Nope." Zo sighed again, putting her hand on the familiar deck. "If Pikachu's as lazy as him, then aren't you calling yourself lazy?"_

_"What are you talking about? I think I'm overly active." Zo said, giving a strange look. "Besides, I'm not as close to him as Pikachu is."_

_"But you are really close, though. Shouldn't you be...I don't know, something like a second Pikachu?" Hilda asked._

_"No, it doesn't work that way." Zo replied, giving an expectant look as she glanced up from her cards._

_"Oh, uh...Octillery." Hilda said, rubbing the back of her head while laughing._

_"Nope."_

_"...You're lying."_

_"No, I'm not, I swear on my life."_

_"Like how you swore on your life you didn't steal my chocolate bar a few years ago, even though you did?"_

_"...Here."_

_"Thank you." Hilda smiled, taking the card from her hand. Zo sighed depressingly, her head sulking down. Suddenly, a figure burst into the clearing._

_"Hey, Zo, Hilda! Have either of you seen Paul?" the hyperactive blunette asked, panting lightly. The two stared at her in surprise for a few moments, then blinked._

_"Who's Paul?" they asked simultaneously. Dawn frowned._

_"Oh, right...Well, see ya!" she waved, quickly dashing off. Hilda and Zo looked at each other in confusion, then shrugged as they looked at their own cards._

_"...Uh...Ah..." Hilda watched Zo expectantly, waiting for a guess. "...Um...Ah, Wailmer!" Zo said, smiling. Hilda nodded, handing her a card. Zo smiled as she took the card, placing down the pair. "I think I'm going to make a comeback." Hilda cleared her throat, wiggling her fingers in the air. Zo looked at her strangely, then realized. Her hands were empty. "...You're kidding..."_

_"Nope, I won." Hilda declared, smiling as she stood up. Zo lowered her head sadly, casting a depressed aura. Suddenly, another figure burst into the clearing again._

_"Zo, Hilda, have either of you seen Dawn? She's running wild." The brunette asked, panting lightly._

_"Yeah, she was here a few minutes ago. She was looking for someone named Paul." Hilda told her._

_"You didn't tell her where he is, did you?" the brunette gave a surprised look._

_"Who is he? Also, where have you been? Ash was looking for you a while ago." Zo told her, looking up._

_"I was at the mall, shopping with May. He found us, then I had to chase after Dawn to keep her under control. You saw the way she looked, right?" the brunette stated, her cheeks slowly going red._

_"Yeah, what was that about?" Zo asked, tilting her head._

_"We don't know, some competition with Paul." The brunette shrugged._

_"Wait, so Ash is alone with May? They'll start fighting, you know." Hilda gave her a strange look._

_"Oh, that. Yeah, they're alone as far as I know, but May and I talked about it before he met up with us. Turns out she wants to be his friend, it's just she's afraid because of their first meeting. She thinks she left a bad impression of herself, and she thinks he thinks she's a crazy person." she sighed lightly, drawing in a breathe after the explanation._

_"And you're not okay with it." Leaf and Hilda looked questioningly at Zo, standing up and smirking. "You don't want them alone together, you're jealous."_

_"W-What?" Leaf asked, her cheeks heating up. Zo pointed at her, smiling._

_"That proves it, you don't want Ash and May alone together. You really do like him, don't you?" Zo stated, crossing her arms._

_"W-Well...Actually, that's none of your business." She said calmly, crossing her arms over her chest, huffing as she turned away._

_"Sure, whatever you say, but the body shows what the heart feels." Zo shrugged her shoulders, walking past Leaf._

_"Funny, Ash just told me something weird about the heart." Leaf said, giving her a strange look as she stepped past. She stopped, turning back._

_"If you think we're lying, ignore us. But, remember we're close enough to know our feelings." She tapped her head, smiling as she moved through the brush._

_"So...What's this about Ash and May alone?"_

_End Flashback_

"Wait, then where's Dawn and Leaf?" Ash asked.

"Don't get off topic, we don't know." Hilda said sternly, eying him intently.

"Ah...Don't you think we should find him? I mean, Paul could be dying right now..." Ash said, unsure how it would effect them.

"We couldn't care less, we don't know the guy." Zo shrugged, copying Hilda's expression. "Now, tell us what you were doing with May. You look nervous, is there something we should know?" she raised her eyebrow.

"No, nothing special happened. Just a talk, now we're friends." Ash replied calmly.

"For now, but I've seen her looking at you. You're going to have a decision soon, be prepared for it." Zo told him, stepping past.

"What are you implying?" he got no response as the girl stepped through the bushes quietly. He sighed lightly.

"Is she right?" he looked at Hilda. "Are you lying, did you do something? Kiss?"

"No way." he turned away, walking away from her. Hilda watched him leave, smiling slyly. Ash continued into the open area, moving toward the centre. As he stepped through the automatic doors, he recognized a few figures. He remained silent, however, as he moved toward the battle board and scanned for his name.

"Hey, you didn't need to walk away from me." He sighed lightly, ignoring the girl stopping beside him. She looked down the board, searching for her own name. "Jerk...Ah!" she gasped, leaning forward and looking closer at the board, nearly knocking over Ash.

"Oh, knock me over, I don't mind." Ash said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. She straightened up, taking a step back from the board. He noticed her surprised and frightened expression, he looked at the board and found her name.

_Hilda vs. Cheren_

"...So...Who's Cheren?" he asked obliviously, looking back at her.

"Have you not listened to me and Hilbert's stories?" she asked angrily, glaring at him. "...Well...Cheren was a childhood friend of mine, and he's a really strong trainer..."

"Crush?" she looked angrily at him, glaring daggers. "Sorry, I'm not good at calling this stuff."

"Jeez...Anyway, he's a really strong trainer who nearly beat Alder once." Hilda said uncomfortably, looking at the ground.

"Really? Are you scared of facing him?" Ash asked.

"No way!" she quickly defended, then began twiddling her fingers. "...Well...Maybe a little..."

"Cool." Ash said calmly, noticing the approach of the other familiar beings in the centre. "Now, where is my name..."

"Hey, Shadow, Hilda." Max greeted.

"Hey, guys. What are all of you up to?" Hilda asked.

"Just exploring, pretty much. With Iris and Max out of the tournament, we don't really have much to occupy time." Misty told her. Iris and Max's heads lowered, a depressing aura spreading.

"Don't worry about it, you two. Besides, this tournament is for the best of the best, it wasn't supposed to be easy." Hilda told them.

"You're right. Besides, you and Shadow are still in the tournament, we'll be cheering you two on. As well as Leaf." Brock stated, smiling.

"Yeah, don't forget about Leaf!" Iris added happily. Ash smirked to himself, unbeknownst to the others as he continued looking down the list. "Hey, Shadow, who are you battling?" she asked, looking at the young man. Ash finally found his name, after long searching, blinking in surprise at his name.

"Great, not again..." Misty put her hand to her head, giving a sigh as she moved closer to the board. She looked at the names, reading it aloud. "Shadow vs. Paul."

...

"_What_?" Max's jaw dropped agape in surprise.

"Shadow vs. Paul." Misty repeated, then blinked as she became aware of what she had said. "Wait, _Paul_?"

"It has to be the Paul from the Sinnoh League," Brock said, crossing his arms. "To think he was here..."

"Actually, I knew." Everyone looked at Hilda in surprise, Ash giving a nod. "Yeah, I heard about him from Dawn a little while ago."

"Wait, where is Dawn?" Misty asked, looking around the lobby.

"She's looking for Paul, some competition." Hilda shrugged her shoulders, ignoring the confused looks being given. "I know as much as you do."

"Then there's no point asking." Cilan added wisely. "I suppose we should go find her, in case she's getting into trouble."

"Yeah, you're probably right..." Max trailed off, frowning. "Shadow, Hilda, you want to help?"

"...May as well, the battle's in half an hour, though." Ash said, pointing to the board.

"We'll find her before then!" Iris said enthusiastically, raising a happy hand.

"Dawn's spirit still lingers..." Max shuddered, looking nervously at the purple-haired girl.

"I'll check inside the centre."

"I'll check the battle areas with Misty."

"Brock and I will check the forest area."

"Then I guess May and I will go - Hey, where is May?"

* * *

><p>In the hotel room, the brunette was lying on her stomach on the bed as she read a magazine, smiling as she hummed happily to herself.<p>

* * *

><p>"Anyway, I guess I'll go alone, then." Max shrugged, giving up on his sister. Everyone nodded, clearing out of the centre. As he moved at the back of the group, he heard someone clearing their throat behind him. He stopped, turning to find himself facing the pink-haired nurse.<p>

"Oh, Nurse Joy." he greeted plainly.

"Hey, Shadow. Your pokemon are fighting-fit again." she smiled, holding out three pokeballs. Ash remembered he left them at the centre, taking the spheres back from her as he nodded in appreciation. "Your Heracross needed a bit of medicine, but nothing I couldn't handle."

"Yeah, he's always been the honorable teammate in double battles..." Ash chuckled, looking at the pokeball as he remembered the bug shielding its lizard partner. "Thanks again."

"No problem at all, Shadow. It's my job, after all." she giggled, Ash shook his head in amusement. "By the way, I had Tobias come to me with his pokemon a little while ago. He said he had a message before he left, he's gone now but I have the message."

"Okay, what did he say?" Ash asked.

"He wanted to thank you again for your battle, it was the best one he'd ever lost. Also, he said to quote this...'Defeating my Darkrai is a surprise, but your Sceptile is the only pokemon to defeat it twice. I could have wished I would have the honor of facing Pikachu again.'" the nurse spoke in a wise tone.

"...So he knew..." Ash muttered, smiling to himself. "...Should have known..."

"I must agree with him, your Sceptile really is something amazing. Defeating the legendary pokemon twice is an impressive accomplishment." She told him, smiling brightly. Ash nodded.

"So I've heard, but it takes training and willpower. Without that, you would break down before the battle started." Ash told her. "Anyway, I've got to get going. Dawn's been running wild." Ash sighed lightly.

"Yes, she came in here earlier looking for Paul. I was wondering why so many men came in with nosebleeds..." she shook her head, frowning. Ash's minds drifted back to how he had seen her in the mall, then shook himself of the image. "I suppose you should go find her, before a boy nearly dies of blood-loss."

"Yeah..." he trailed off, hoping not to say anything he would regret. He waved, stepping out of the centre. He looked around, then felt a vibration on his wrist. He raised his wrist, tapping the screen of the electronic device. As the screen flashed to life, it revealed a surprising sight. The man's left cheek was welted into a large purple bruise, as an unhealthy-looking black surrounded his right eye. His lips were fattened, but the man's eyes were clearly glaring at him. "What's up?"

"Don't you talk so plainly to me! _You_ did this!" the man shouted.

"No, Hilda did. You clearly deserved it, staring at her like a pervert." Ash remarked, smirking. He was surprised as Hilbert smirked himself.

"That may not be true, but you will be doing that soon." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Ash asked.

"I'm talking about your brunette problem." Ash cringed. "Who should you choose...? I don't know myself, they're both not bad, but who am I to answer for you? You're a big boy, you can choose for yourself." Hilbert began laughing, then moved his hand to his cheek. "Ow...Besides, you're running out of time. It's almost the third round."

"Yeah, I know...Is this supposed to scare me or something?" Ash asked, arching his eyebrow.

"No, but you will be soon. You see, I've gone ahead and sent you a few gifts." The man grinned mysteriously, alerting Ash. "They should be arriving soon."

"What do you-" the screen cut to black. "...Psycho..." Ash muttered, giving a sigh while lowering his wrist. As a thought came to his mind, he smirked as he lifted his wrist and tapping the screen a few times. Typing on the electronic keyboard appearing on-screen, he clicked send as he re-read the message.

_Hilbert says he has a problem with brunettes, got it recorded if you don't believe me. Have fun._

He laughed quietly to himself, shaking his head in amusement as he saw the priceless reaction of the man as Hilda approached him. Caught up in his thoughts, he bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch - Oh, Shadow." Ash looked at Paul, who was looking back at him. "Sorry, I was...distracted."

"Ah, so Dawn found you? How was it?" Paul's expression turned to surprise as he looked at the man, followed by his cheeks turning evidently warmer. He looked away, closing his eyes.

"Moving on, what do you say to our battle? I noticed the battle on our field going on now is finishing quicker than expected, so we might be able to battle earlier." He explained.

"...Sure, let's do it." The two smirked at each other, heading toward the stadium. "...I've been looking forward to facing you."

"Same here, but don't think I'm intimidated by your accomplishments here." Ash nodded. "No holding back, right?"

"Never." As the two arrived at the field, the previous battle was just finishing. The two trainers parted from the field, as the two new combatants took their places in the trainer boxes.

"This match between Shadow and Paul will now begin!" the ref raised his flags. The two trainers nodded, pulling two pokeballs from their belts. Paul tossed his forward, the brilliant flashes hitting the battlefield and taking forms. One was a large turtle-like creature with a tree growing on its back, while the other was similar-sized creature with two long arms emerging from the sides of its head, each sporting a large pincer.

"I knew he would start with him...Be careful, you two." Ash muttered, tossing his pokeballs into the air. The lights burst and released two flying figures, each of the same size but different attributes.

"Begin!"

"Drapion, Toxic Spikes! Torterra, Stone Edge!" Paul quickly commanded, getting the jump-start on Ash. The poison-type launched a purple blob from its claws into the air, bursting into multiple rays of poison as they descended back down, absorbed into the ground. The turtle formed many sharp rocks around it, sending them into the air toward the birds.

"Staraptor, evasive maneuvers. Unfezant, quick ascend." the birds obeyed, one doing barrel-rolls in the air, the other quickly flapping its wings to get higher and out of range. "Unfezant, Air Cutter." the bird brought back its wings, flapping them forward and releasing many small, sharp circles of air toward the field below.

"Torterra, keep them at a distance. Drapion, Sludge Bomb." Paul ordered, the two obeying. Torterra continued controlling the sharps, summoning more when needed as the poison-type brought its claws together, firing multiple purple blobs into the air. Staraptor continued flying evasively, searching for an opening.

"He's keeping them away, waiting for them to tire themselves out...Simple, but not enough." He muttered, smirking. "Change of plans, guys. Staraptor, ascend with Unfezant." the bird quickly flew upward, joining its partner in the higher air.

"Torterra, keep up the defence. Drapion, get ready to defend Torterra when they attack." The pokemon nodded.

"Unfezant, charge Sky Attack. Staraptor, grab Unfezant." the bird coiled its body tightly, Staraptor wrapping its claws gently around it as it glowed in a brilliant white. The two birds grinned. "Now, send Unfezant in. Follow closely with Aerial Ace." Staraptor spun its body in mid-air, extending its legs as it brought them back around, letting go of Unfezant as it darted down toward their opponents. Staraptor brought in its wings, keeping the tips extended horizontally as it dived after its partner.

"Stone Edge!" the sharp rocks flew toward the bird. But the bird's power mixed with descent and speed, it easily cracked the stones into small pieces as it crashed down into the turtle's back. "Torterra!"

"Close Combat." Paul looked in surprise at Staraptor as it had moved in the safe path of its partner, and was now kicking and swinging its wings on Drapion.

"Drapion, grab it!"

"Air Slash." the poison-type grunted in pain as a powerful sphere of air struck its backside, but it refused to give up. It extended its arms, swinging them around in the air as well as its tail, surprising the birds. They evasively dodged the swings, but Staraptor was suddenly struck in the wing, going off-balance. Drapion grinned, swinging its arm back and pinching its claws around the bird. As it struggled, the poison-type swung it down into the field, a purple glow overcoming Staraptor as it cried in pain. "Not this again…" Ash sighed quietly, watching his bird glow an eery purple. Its partner stayed behind Drapion.

"Stone Edge." the turtle formed several sharp stones out of thin air, launching them toward the airborne bird. It narrowly dodged the rocks, but had its wing clipped by the last one. "Use Frenzy Plant!" Torterra's eyes glowed green, shouting its name as several large vines burst from the ground.

"Climb." Ash said calmly, the bird quickly ascending into the air. "Air Cutter on Drapion." the bird brought its wings back, flapping them as several small blades of air darted for the opponent below.

"Drapion, Pin Missile." the poison-type pokemon dropped Staraptor, who fell to the ground and struggled to get to its feet. It brought its arms back, swinging them forward and releasing an array of small, white needles. They climbed into the sky, colliding with the bird's blades. They competed for a few seconds, then several needles pushed through, surprising the bird.

"Staraptor, Close Combat." the bird stood, determination in its eyes as it began beating on the large scorpion. "Unfezant, descend with Aerial Ace then pull back, Air Cutter bombing." Ash smirked as the bird extended its wings, falling through the air as it fell toward the battlefield. As it got close, it pulled up, gliding across the field before bringing back its wings, releasing Air Cutter down on Torterra and Drapion as if a war plane.

"Torterra, Stone Edge. Drapion, Pin Missile." the two giant pokemon charged their attacks.

"Quick ascend, both of you." Ash called quickly, knowing the devastating effects of those moves. As the two neared finishing their charges, the two birds quickly flapped their wings to evade. "Staraptor, stir up some wind. Unfezant, Air Cutter then copy Staraptor." the Unova-native released a small wave of air blades, then the two simultaneously flapped their wings, creating a gust of wind.

"Fire both attacks, then Drapion, follow with Cross Poison." the two fired their powerful attacks, then Drapion crossed its claws. As the two attacks barely fought through the wind, Drapion pushed its claws forward, releasing a large purple X into the air.

"Dodge." the two birds flew in opposite directions, both coming down the field toward the center, where Drapion and Torterra had moved to. "Brave Bird and Sky Attack." the two birds glowed their respective colors of power, closing in on the two large pokemon.

"Drapion, grab them. Torterra, bring them down." Drapion extended its claws, waiting as the birds got closer. Torterra brought its foot down, extending multiple large vines form the ground. The two birds looked in surprise, narrowly manoeuvrings through the vines with great luck. Staraptor felt its wing drag along the side of a vine, the bird wincing in pain as it ignored the pain, continuing toward the opponents. Unfezant chirped a battle cry, zeroing in on Drapion before its arms began slashing through the air in front of it. The bird dogged its claws, then felt itself clipped as it lost balance, nearly falling to the ground.

"Unfezant, change target to Torterra. Staraptor, continue Brave Bird on Torterra." Ash commanded, the two obeying without question. Unfezant flipped in mid-air, heading toward Torterra's back as Staraptor charged for its front, still glowing blue.

"Focusing on Torterra, huh…Well, if that's the case…Torterra, stand still." multiple gasps of surprise were heard in the crowd as the turtle nodded, watching the birds close in on it.

"The famous Torterra strategy…That mean's Drapion's going to get a clear shot on them." Ash muttered, watching the poison-type as it watched the birds, snapping its claws. The birds were so close, now, then collided into the turtle the moment after. The turtle grunted in pain as it received the powerful, super-effective attacks. "Both of you, into the air. Unfezant, cover with Air Cutter." as the two birds darted down the field away from them, Drapion released a large purple X toward them. Unfezant spun in the air, releasing a wave of air-powered saw blades before facing forward again, the birds quickly ascending into the air. The attacks collided, cancelling each other out as the birds took their post above the field. Suddenly, Staraptor glowed purple as it chirped in pain, losing balance as it wobbled in the air. "Now poison's really taking effect…"

"Torterra, Stone Edge. Drapion, Pin Missile." the two charged their attacks, releasing them into the air above. However, their ranges increased to everywhere above the field.

"He wants us to dodge, but he'll probably target Staraptor…I can't let that happen, or it's over. Not to mention, Staraptor only knows physical moves…Paul must have figured out it can't attack from the air…" Ash muttered, looking at his opponents carefully, hoping for a weakness to be revealed. His eyes widened. "That's it."

"Both of you, keep it up." the pokemon nodded, continuing their attacks as the birds avoided without moving too much.

"Unfezant, zero in." the bird hesitated, then nodded as it brought its wings in, falling toward the battlefield below. "Unfezant, circle over Torterra and use Air Slash. Staraptor, follow close behind." the Sinnoh bird nodded, copying Unfezant as it descended close behind. They two birds lifted up just above the ground, speeding toward the opponents. Unfezant pulled up, increasing its speed as it formed a swirling sphere of air in its one wing, dropping it as it flew over the turtle. The turtle received the attack on its back, grunting in pain before seeing Staraptor not too far from it.

"Drapion, grab it!" the poison-type snapped its claws, drawing in on the bird.

"Into Torterra's tree." crowd members gasped as the bird sped up, disappearing into the leaves of Torterra's tree.

"What's he thinking…? Torterra, Giga Drain." the spikes on the turtle's shell glowed green,the power extending into vine-like objects.

"Unfezant." Paul looked in the sky in surprise as the bird descended, glowing white. How could he have forgotten about it!

"Drapion, stop that bird! Torterra, get Staraptor out of there!" Paul commanded, Drapion stepping in front of Torterra as the bird drew closer. Torterra's attack closed in on the tree, striking the leaves. However, there was no cry of pain. "What…?"

"Staraptor, Brave Bird." a few moments passed slowly, then a blue light was seen from within the tree as Torterra grunted in pain, bearing the power. Then the blue light darkened, becoming mixed with a shade of purple. In the leaves, the bird wrapped its wings around the tree as it gave a low pained cry, feeling the poison seep through its body. To everyone's surprise, the turtle then became enveloped in purple as the bird had! "If physically connected, special effects can be passed on." Ash said to himself, smirking.

"Drapion, force that bird out!" Paul shouted, the poison-type preparing to strike the tree.

"Unfezant, exit." the Unova bird struck the turtle's side, quickly moving into its tree afterwards. As the turtle grunted in pain and Drapion looking in surprise, the bird quickly burst from the tree with a weakened Staraptor in its claws.

"Torterra, Stone Edge!" the turtle formed many rocks form thin air.

"Straight down." the birds cut off their aerial abilities, letting their bodies fall toward the field. Coincidentally behind Drapion.

"No, stop!" But it was too late. The turtle launched the many rocks toward the birds, but they had chosen to hide behind Drapion as it became pierced with the stones. "Drapion!"

"Back to my side, you two." the two birds quickly moved toward Ash, landing on the field by him and looking expectantly. Everyone watched in surprise and anticipation to see what he would do, then was surprised to see him pull out a pokeball. "You've done well, you should take a rest." the red light emerged from the sphere's centre, enveloping Staraptor and disappearing back inside. He gave a nod to Unfezant before drawing the sphere back, then pulling another one.

"So who's next…?" Paul murmured to himself, smirking.

"…Keep it together, but I felt like you should be reunited…" Ash grinned, tossing the pokeball out. It opened, the light crashing down and forming a human-like figure. As the light faded, it revealed the fire ape.

"_Fernaape!"_

**END**

**Who else will take part in battle? (Infernape was obvious)  
><strong>**What are Hilbert's "gifts"?  
><strong>**When **_**will**_** Zo see the light of battle?  
><strong>**Who will win in the battle of the brunettes?**


	27. Chapter 27

**Yeah…This was supposed to go up, like, a few days ago, but my internet problems are the worst. Anyway, enjoy a late chapter. Also, as you read the Infernape's battling, imagine him becoming affected by poison every now and then. Too lazy to put it in, thanks.**

The ape grunted as it felt its legs weaken. Looking down, it saw its body glowing a shade of purple. Looking angrily down the field, it noticed the two larger opponents, but its eyes darkened as it looked further. At Paul. It's fists clenched, the flame glowing brighter, remarked by members of the crowd who felt the heat.

"An infernape…" Paul muttered, then pictured something in his mind. Two images appeared: one of the monkey before him, and a powerful monkey who had defeated him. "…It can't be…!"

"Infernape, Flamethrower." Paul was caught off-guard as he was caught up in his thoughts, watching the monkey draw in a breathe.

"Cross Poison!" the monkey shouted its name, expelling a very hot and powerful stream of flames from its mouth as Drapion crossed its claws, releasing a purple X for interception. "Drapion, Pin-"

"Flamethrower again, follow with Close Combat." as the two attacks collided, the fire suddenly became hotter as it burst through, speeding past Drapion and into Torterra. As it grunted in pain, Drapion's eyes widened in surprise as Infernape suddenly appeared in front of it, amazed at the monkey's speed. It began striking the poison-type with punches and kicks repeatedly.

"Torterra, Giga Drain!" Paul commanded, watching his pokemon get weakened.

"Air Cutter." several small saw blades struck the ground around Torterra, releasing small clouds of smoke as the turtle's attack was cut off thanks to the bird circling above. "Air Slash on Torterra, change into Mach Punch." the land turtle was struck by a swirling sphere of wind, grunting in pain. Drapion felt the monkey stop its barrage and watched it land in front of it, its fists glowing white. It watched in surprise as the fire ape quickly struck its fist into the poison-type's chest, pushing it back with great force.

"How is this possible…! Drapion, Pin Missile! Torterra, Stone Edge!" the two charged their common attacks, readying to fire on the powerful monkey, who stood calmly on its side of the field.

"I guess old habits die hard…" Ash chuckled to himself, shaking his head in amusement as he watched the two attacks be launched. "Repelling Flamethrower." the monkey grinned, jumping on its back and spinning on the ground as if a breakdancer. Everyone watched in awe as the monkey released a powerful flame, mixed with the spinning, to become a graceful vortex of fire. The two attacks closed in on the monkey, but the swirling fire managed to push it back. Paul's eyes widened.

"That's…!" he looked at the monkey, then at Ash. "…That's no coincidence…!"

"Infernape, Dig." the monkey dived into the ground, disappearing into the field. "Unfezant, Air Cutter." the bird struck the ground around the two, distracting them as the monkey carried out the plan. As the two were distracted, no one noticed the ground weaken in a circle beneath Torterra. "Unfezant, Sky Attack into the hole." the bird ascended into the air, glowing white as it came back down, disappearing into the hole. "Flare Blitz."

"Both of you, guards on!" the two pokemon watched the field around them, half expecting the ground to weaken beneath them. "Sky Attack and Flare Blitz…He's really not holding back…" Paul smirked, looking at Ash across the field.

"Now." a few moments silently passed, then the two large pokemon suddenly shouted in pain louder than they had before. Torterra's two right legs lifted into the air as it felt itself flipped onto its side, a smaller white figure darting into the air from below it. Drapion felt a burning sensation on its chest, then its entire body became enveloped in flames as a monkey burning in bright blue flames burst past it from beneath, grinning as it watched the poison-type become enveloped in flames. "Finish this, Flamethrower." the monkey grinned, drawing in a long breathe as the two larger pokemon struggled to move. They watched in horror as the monkey charged its powerful attack, then a glint appeared in its eye. The two closed their eyes. It was over.

"_Dodge_!" Paul roared, but instead watched in horror as the flames, larger than before, had enveloped his pokemon. After the flames held his pokemon in place for a few moments, the flames ceased. The two pokemon's bodies were revealed to be severely charred, Torterra's tree surprisingly still natural. Their heads fell to the ground.

"Drapion and Torterra are unable to battle!" the ref raised his flags, signalling the pokemon's finish. The crowd gasped as Paul's rumored 'mighty pokemon' had simultaneously fell in battle, right before their eyes. Paul recalled his pokemon with great displeasure, gritting his teeth together as he pulled two new pokeballs.

"We may have lost last time…But this will be different…" Paul muttered, then tossed his dual pokeballs. The lights formed two slightly smaller figures than his previous pokemon, but were still larger than a man. One's body was red and orange with a flame coming off both shoulders, and two cannon-like arms with claws. The other was black and yellow with two antennas on its head, also two long, black tails behind it.

"He still can't come up with any surprises…" Ash sighed lightly, shaking his head in slight disappointment at his former rival. He lifted a pokeball, the red light extending and enveloping Unfezant. He put the pokeball back, drawing another as he smirked to himself. Tossing the pokeball, the light took form of a large blue frog-like creature, with large black spheres covering its body.

* * *

><p>"Wow! Looks like we got here just in time!" the blunette said excitedly, looking admiringly toward the battlefield. Misty sighed, stopping beside her, panting lightly.<p>

"More like late…I think it's already half over…" she said weakly, panting. Dawn stuck her tongue out playfully.

"Oh well, I'm sure Shadow will understand. Besides, this looks like it's in Shadow's favor!" she commented, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…But still…"

"Go, Shadow! Run him into the ground!"

* * *

><p>"Good to know I have fans…" Ash sweat-dropped, recognizing the hyperactive blunette cheering for him. Across the field, Paul sighed to himself and shook his head.<p>

"Moving on…Magmortar, Flamethrower. Electivire, Thunder." the electric-type's antennas glowed yellow and the fire-type's claws disappeared inside its arms, extending them forward as the depths glowed orange.

"Infernape, Flamethrower." the monkey drew in its breathe, releasing the scorching attack simultaneously with its opponents. The attacks collided, for a few moments Infernape's attack seemed to push Paul's back, then it slowly began drawing backwards. "Infernape, Dig." the monkey disappeared.

"Watch out, you two!" the Sinnoh pokemon looked around the field, slightly nervous as the pokemon had full advantage on them.

"Seismitoad, Earthquake." the frog brought its fists down on the field, shaking the ground as the opponents lost their balance, stumbling over. "Infernape, Flare Blitz. Seismitoad, Hydro Pump." a cry was heard from beneath, but not of pain. Of anger.

"What…!" Paul was surprised to feel himself sweat, noticing the ground turn noticeably red. Electivire began stepping in the same spot repeatedly, trying to lower the heat in its feet. Magmortar stood calmly, somewhat enjoying the heat as Seismitoad began spraying itself with water, keeping cool from the attack.

"Now, attack." the ground began shaking, then a bright blue flame burst from beneath Electivire. The electric-type grunted in pain as it received the devastatingly powerful attack, jumping in the air and landing away from the monkey. The flames cut off, then the electric-type saw the monkey grinning at him. It studied for a few moments, then it grinned.

"Electivire thinks so, too…" Paul muttered, looking at the expression of his pokemon. "Magmortar, Smog. Electivire, ThunderPunch." the electric-type's fists glowed yellow, charging toward the monkey as its partner releasing a purple cloud across the field.

"Seismitoad, Hydro Pump on Magmortar. Infernape, counter with Mach Punch." the water-type fired a powerful stream of water toward the fire-type, Infernape's fists glowed white as it charged toward the oncoming electric-type. Their fists clashed, both grinning as their faces drew close, each remembering this very scenario years ago. "Close Combat." the electric-type was surprised to feel a foot forced into its stomach, then a barrage of punches and kicks on its body. One finally wind-up punch sent it back quite a bit, crashing back onto the ground.

"Electivire, Thunder! Magmortar, Rock Tomb in front of Electivire!" the electric-type launched a powerful electric attack, then watched as three tall rocks formed in front of it. It peeked around the corner, seeing Seismitoad receiving the powerful attack, but feeling nothing due to its ground-type attributes.

"Infernape, Mach Punch. Seismitoad, Sludge Bomb." Electivire hid behind the rocks again, but was surprised to hear a crack, then the rocks shattered! Infernape stood, grinning at him with its glowing fist extended, then it jumped into the air. Electivire was surprised to have no reaction-time as several brown blobs of dirt collided with its face, slightly blinding it. "Close Combat."

"Rock Tomb! Keep it away from Electivire!" Paul ordered, hoping to protect the pokemon. Magmortar fired several purple spheres at the ground, bringing up tall rocks around the battlefield.

"So you want to play hide-and-seek…" Ash smirked, giving a nod. "All right, then. Infernape, into the hole."

"After it!" Paul shouted, satisfying Ash.

"Perfect. Seismitoad, block the other end." the frog brought its foot down, guarding the hole on their side of the field. Electivire jumped into the hole after the monkey, but the crowd was surprised to see Infernape emerge from the other end nearly the same second, bursting into the air and quickly landing back by the hole it landed in.

"What…!" Paul stepped back, surprised as it saw what happened.

"Infernape knows how to dig, but an electric-type can't move very well underground." Ash called out, making Paul grit his teeth. "Now, Hyper Voice and Flamethrower." Paul's eyes widened as he saw the monkey release the powerful flame into the hole, hearing an echoing noise, supposedly Seismitoad's attack down the other end. A pained shout was heard from underground as the electric-type received the two powerful attacks, feeling anger build up inside. It charged a powerful electric energy in its antennas, releasing it up both ends. Both of Ash's pokemon were surprised as the electric attack struck them, Seismitoad taking it calmly and Infernape blocking it with its elbow.

"ThunderPunch." Infernape was surprised to see Electivire jump out quickly in front of it, grinning as it forced its sparking fist into its chest. It felt a surge of electricity as it staggered back.

"Mach Punch."

"Protect!"

"Sludge Bomb."

"Rock Tomb!"

* * *

><p>"Man, those two are really into this…It's like Iris and Shadow, but…maybe worse…" Dawn stated, looking surprised toward Ash on the field.<p>

"Dawn, it doesn't matter. I doubt anyone would come to a tournament like this to go easy on anyone." Misty added, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess you're right, but still…It's like these two are battling for…revenge…"

* * *

><p>"Seismitoad, Hydro Pump. Infernape, Flamethrower." the two faced each other on the field, firing their attacks and colliding in the middle.<p>

"What?" Paul asked in confusion, then blinked in realization. "Smart…" he muttered, watching the steam spread across the field, disabling vision from nearly any angle.

"Seismitoad, into the hole." the frog jumped in. "Infernape, in the other end." the monkey dived in obediently.

"Magmortar, Flamethrower down the hole! Electivire, Thunder!" the two blocked off each exit, firing the attacks down the holes.

"Flamethrower and Hydro Pump." the two attacks continued down the whole for a few moments, then Electivire's electric attack was suddenly overpowered by a blue stream, drenching its body. The electricity was drawn up the water, surging offensively into itself due to being wet, bearing its teeth in pain. Magmortar had become enveloped in a red stream, it feeling slightly happy with the feeling. Abruptly, both streams changed colours and powers, Electivire receiving flames and Magmortar receiving water. Both stumbled back, avoiding the attack. "Close Combat and Sludge Bomb." Magmortar watched as Infernape emerged in front of it, swinging its fists and legs into its body. Seismitoad emerged by Electivire, who was now being bombarded with blobs of dirt. "Hyper Voice." the electric-type felt the bombardment cease, but was still partially blind. As i wiped is eyes, it managed to remove some of the dirt, revealing the frog drawing in a breathe. Electivire's eyes widened, watching the frog open its mouth and expel a loud shout in front of it, causing pain in its ears.

"Electivire!" Paul shouted, watching the pokemon be ear-tortured. It grasped its ears, wincing from the loud sound as it jumped back to Paul's side. "Magmortar, Fire Punch!" the fire-type winced, drawing in its claws and replaced by a seeping flame. It endured the pain as it swung its arm up, uppercutting the monkey in the chest, sending it into the air. Infernape smirked in surprise, spinning and landing normally on the field. "Rock Tomb! Electivire, Brick Break on Seismitoad!" the fire-type raised more rocks around Infernape as the electric-type dashed down the field toward the opposing frog.

"Seismitoad, Earthquake." the frog shook the ground, the electric-type stumbled over but continued at a slowed pace. "Infernape, Close Combat." Electivire was surprised as the monkey suddenly appeared in front of it, grinning as it unleashed a frenzy.

"Magmortar, Flamethrower!" Paul shouted, the fire-type releasing a powerful jet of flames toward the monkey.

"Hydro Pump." Seismitoad stepped in front, expelling a powerful stream of water. The attacks collided, the water almost immediately pushing through and hitting Magmortar. "Sludge Bomb." Seismitoad stopped the attack, switching to blobs of mud and continuing to strike the distant Magmortar. It stumbled back, panting.

"Magmortar! Rock Tomb!"

"Finish this with Hydro Pump." the fire-type brought up several stones, but was surprised to see them crack and smash easily under the pressure of water. It hit Magmortar in the chest, sending it back toward Paul's side. Paul was beyond surprised as he watched his pokemon wobble for a few moments, then fall forward.

"Magmortar is unable to battle!" the ref announced, shocking the crowd. Paul gritted his teeth, recalling the fire-type.

"...Electivire, Thunder!" the electric-type released the devastating bolt of electricity, but the frog stepped in front of the monkey and blocked it. "ThunderPunch!"

"Mach Punch." the monkey countered Electivire, grinning as its fists pushed forward. Electivire felt itself forced back, landing on one knee by Paul, panting. "He's not going down without a real fight..."

"Electivire, Thunder again!"

"Time's up, Paul." Ash stated, smirking as he extended his arm out front. Infernape and Seismitoad gave a nod, the frog returning to Ash's side as Infernape stepped forward. "Finishing move, Infernape."

"What's he doing…? It must be a powerful move…" Paul murmured to himself, watching the monkey intently. The monkey's chest caved in, drawing an evidently large breathe. As it drew in, the flame on the monkey's head glowed brighter as everyone in the area could feel the powerful heat. "…No way…!"

"Blast Burn."

The monkey focused for a moment, then shouted its name as it released a fireball larger than its head, darting across the field toward their opponents. As it moved, everyone thought it was just any other fire attack, not very impressive. But as it reached the tired Electivire and Magmortar, it exploded into a hazardous maelstrom of chaotic and dangerous flames. Everyone shielded their eyes, protecting themselves from the extremely powerful brightness and heat. As the flames scorched the field, the only sounds were the flames crackling and the pained shouts of the two Sinnoh pair.

"Electivire! Magmortar!" Paul shouted in disbelief, watching the flames slowly die down after a minute or so. As they died, it revealed the figures of the electric- and fire-type, facedown on the field and charred black.

"…Electivire and Magmortar are unable to battle!" the ref called, hesitating for a reason even he didn't know. He raised his flags, looking over at Ash. "This victory goes to Shadow!"

* * *

><p>"…That…" Misty stared blankly, mesmerized by the most powerful fire-type attack used right before her eyes. Dawn stood beside her, same expression.<p>

"That…that was…!" Dawn stared for a few more moments, then she clasped her hands together, smiling broadly. "…That was _awesome_!"

"What?" Misty asked in surprise, looking amazed at the blunette.

"It was awesome! That was the best Blast Burn I've ever seen!" she said excitedly, going starry-eyed as she stared at Infernape, who returned to Ash's side. "I can't believe it!"

"But…Don't you think that was too much? It could have killed Paul's team!" Misty stated.

"Well, you are right, but this is Paul we're talking about. I hate to admit it, but his team can take anything with the training he does." Dawn crossed her arms, nodding as she spoke, Misty sweat-dropped.

"Someone's a fan…"

"What! No way!"

* * *

><p>"Great battle." Ash held his hand out.<p>

"Best in years." Paul returned the shake, the pair smirking.

"Although, I can't say I didn't expect more from you." Ash said, pulling his hand and stuffing them in his pockets.

"I can't say I didn't expect less." Paul retorted, taking a step forward past him. When their shoulders lined up, Ash's smirk disappeared as Paul spoke one word.

"Ketchum."

Time seemed to stop as Ash looked back at his retreating figure, leaving the area. Ash smirked again, shaking his head in amusement as he moved toward the exit. As he passed the doorway, he was greeted by a few figures. "Hey, Shadow!" Dawn greeted happily, smiling brightly.

"Thanks, where have you been?" Ash asked the blunette, who's cheeks heated up.

"I, ah…well…" she rubbed the back of her head, laughing nervously. "I…was competing…with Paul."

"Oh, right…" Ash murmured, frowning as he thought back to their encounter in the mall.

"Great battle, I'm very impressed with that Blast Burn." Misty told him, smiling.

"Thanks, it took a while, but we finally got it to work perfectly." Ash replied, giving a half-smile.

"Shadow!" Ash recognized the voice immediately, looking to the side and seeing Leaf walking toward them, smiling. "That was amazing! You have to tell me how you trained your infernape's Blast Burn so well!"

"Maybe, if I have time." Ash responded, smirking. Leaf frowned, putting her hands on her hips.

"Don't be stubborn, you will teach me." she told him.

"Maybe." was all he said back. Leaf sighed, crossing her arms as she turned away.

"Men…" she muttered not-so-quietly, heard by the trio. Ash frowned and the two girls nodded.

"You got that right." Dawn gave a sigh. Everyone looked at her questioningly, heating her cheeks again. "W-What?"

"Nothing…" Misty said slyly, smiling as she glanced at the blunette. "So, I guess the others must have forgot about your battle." she frowned, looking at Ash.

"But we would never miss your battles!" Dawn added happily.

"You're the reason they missed it, Dawn…" Misty muttered, glancing at the hyperactive girl.

"No worries, caring about a friend is human behavior." Ash told them, looking at Dawn.

"Huh?" the girls laughed at her clueless reaction, Ash held back a light laugh. "What? Why are you looking at me?"

"Come on, let's go find the others." Misty said, still laughing lightly as she pushed the girl away. "See you later, Shadow." she smiled back.

"Bye, Shadow!"

"Come on, you…"

* * *

><p>"So, what are you doing now?" the brunette asked, looking at the man. The two passed through the bushes, stepping into the clearing.<p>

"I don't know, probably just rest for a while. I might head to the centre." he responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"Mind if I come along?" he looked at her with a raised brow, the girl's cheeks turned pink. "I…I don't have anything to do, so…"

"No problem." she smiled. "I just have to do a few things here first."

"Okay, I actually have something to do, too." she stated happily, hurrying off and disappearing through the trees. He sighed.

"Can't control your girlfriend?" Ash sighed again, not even bothering to look at the girl's head by the tent.

"I can't answer that because I don't know what that situation is like." Ash replied.

"You would have when you were a kid…"

"Shut up."

"Whatever. So, what are you going to do about that?" Zo asked, giving him an expectant look. He stared for a few moments. "Leaf and May."

"What about them?" Zo sighed, giving an 'are-you-serious?' look.

"I'm saying, which of them are you going to choose? It's obvious they both like you, and you like them." she said, resting her head on the ground again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just friends with both of them." he replied, turning away.

"Yeah, and I can beat Charizard with my eyes closed." Zo retorted, closing her eyes.

"I do _not_ like either of them, and there's no way you're going to find me in a situation anything like that." Ash told her, she opened her eyes and perked her head up.

"What are you willing to bet?"

"I don't bet with you."

"Because I always win."

"No, because you always _change_ the bet."

"No way, you're a sore loser."

"Why am I here?" he sighed, walking away from the argument as he pushed through the brush. Zo shook her head, resting again.

"He won't see it coming…"

* * *

><p>"Man, that pokemon…" he sighed again, stepping through the centre doors.<p>

"Hey! You forgot about me!" he turned around, seeing Leaf stepping through the doorway behind him, shaking her head with her arms on her waist.

"Oh, sorry." he said simply, heading toward the desk. She frowned, hurrying beside him. "Nurse Joy."

"Ah, Shadow!" she said cheerfully, smiling.

"My battle with Paul went a little longer than I expected, I'll need these guys feeling better." he told her, handing out four pokeballs. She nodded, taking them.

"No problem, they're in professional hands." she told him.

"That feels like an insult," the nurse giggled. "But, I',m probably imagining it."

"Yes, most likely." she looked over, seeing Leaf standing slightly behind him. "Oh, Leaf. I have your pokemon here, they're much better after your last battle." the nurse stated, reaching under the counter and pulling a tray containing two pokeballs.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." the brunette said, taking the spheres. Ash looked at them curiously, but wasn't trying to hide it well. "You're not seeing them."

"I wasn't going to ask that, besides, I don't want to see them." Ash replied, turning away.

"Sure you don't…" she smiled, glancing at him slyly. The nurse watched their interactions, smiling.

"Ah, young love…" the two looked toward the nurse with questioning looks. She held her hands up. "Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking you would want to hurry to the battlefields, your friend Hilda's match started about ten minutes ago."

"Hilda?" Ash asked, surprised she hadn't even told him. The nurse nodded. "Thank you, Nurse Joy. We'll be going, enjoy the job."

"I will as always." she waved as the man left the centre in a hurry, leaving the two girls alone.

"Do you like Shadow?" the nurse was caught off-guard.

"Like him? …Oh, Leaf, you don't have to worry about me. I see you two are much closer than being pried apart, so I won't interfere." the nurse smiled. "However, I would be lying to not say you should keep an eye on May."

"Yeah, I know…Bye, Nurse Joy." she waved, leaving the centre in thought.

* * *

><p>"Cheren's Emboar is unable to battle! This victory goes to Hilda!"<p>

"We…We did it…" Hilda stood in shock, amazed as she stared at her childhood friend's defeated starter pokemon. She stepped forward and hugged her own fire-type starter and cat, smiling. "…Thank you, guys…"

"Looks like you did it." she looked up, seeing Cheren approach her. "You beat me, after all these years of saying you would, you finally did."

"You make it sound like I was failing." she frowned, pulling two pokeballs and returning her pokemon. "How's Bianca?"

"Haven't been able to find her recently. How are you and Hilbert?" Cheren noticed her expression darken.

"That pervert? Oh, I guess you could say penalties have gotten worse." she shrugged casually, unaware that she was making her friend feel nervous.

"Yeah, penalties…" Cheren laughed nervously, looking away. "Thanks for the battle."

"Same to you." she smiled, watching the boy walk away from her. "He never changes…" she sighed, shaking her head.

"What are you in thought about?" surprised, she looked over to see Ash approaching her. "Thanks for telling me when you battle."

"You were right beside me when I found out." she retorted, smirking. Ash shook his head. "Whatever, what are you doing?"

"I don't know, probably resting or training at camp." he shrugged, turning away. The two left the battle areas, heading for the trees. However, before they stepped through… "Hey, where's Hilbert?"

"I don't know, he could have fainted for all I care." Hilda responded plainly, continuing through the trees and leaving the raven-haired trainer. He sighed.

"What did he mean…?" Ash ponder out loud, thinking back to the man's strange last words of their conversation.

_"I've gone ahead and sent you a few gifts. They should be arriving soon."_

Ash shook his head, dismissing the thought. He was bluffing, that's all there is to it. Ash stepped forward, then stopped as he felt something. He looked in the sky, surprised to see two large descending figures. They flapped their wings, landing safely on the ground in front of Ash. At first look, Ash recognized the species. As he looked closer a second time, he recognized the pair personally. The dragons opened their claws, revealing an assortment of different pokeballs. "What are you two doing here? Who else did you bring?" Ash asked, surprised as he took his own pokeballs from them. The two pokemon smiled, giving a simple nod. He looked at the different spheres.

"Hilbert…What are you up to…?"

Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

**END**

**What's gonna happen? Are natural occurrences finally striking the pokemon world? No, it's not an earthquake, really. I'm deciding to bring back a few of Ash's _pokemon_ _friends_, _not_ captured, as well as some new ones.**

**What two pokemon came to Ash? Who else did they bring?  
><strong>**What _is_ the cause of the ground shaking?  
><strong>**How will Paul retaliate in his competition with Dawn?  
><strong>**Who will Ash battle next?**

**R&R for ideas, opinions and remarks. I'm open to all but flamers.**


	28. Chapter 28

**My parents are buying a new modem for our router, so hopefully that's gonna cut out the off-and-on problems. Anyway, been a boring week, thought I should put this up.**

**I don't own Pokemon franchise or anything like that. Cheers.**

Ash walked down the path, deep in thought. "_Why would they come…They didn't even know about this tournament…"_ suddenly, a thought struck him. The only possible answer.

Hilbert.

Ash shook his head, frowning as he moved toward the trees. He recalled how everyone in the area had stared at the two dragons who had landed before him, seemingly friendly. Then, the ground had broken up and revealed a bigger surprise for him. "Zo, guess who just dropped in."

"Please be another trainer who will put me in battle, _please_." Zo sighed, lying on her back with her head out of the tent. He shook his head. "Curse you, infidel."

"Where did you learn that?" Ash asked.

"Some skeleton puppet. I thought he looked stupid, but he's actually really awesome." Zo told the trainer.

"You've been watching comedy?" Ash questioned. Zo nodded. "Never thought you would enjoy that stuff."

"It's hilarious, you should try it sometime." Zo smiled, sitting up and emerging from the tent. "So, who dropped in?"

"Some old friends." Ash smiled, slinging his backpack from his back.

"I don't like the sound of that…" Zo said cautiously, watching his actions carefully. He opened the bag, pulling a handful of minimized pokeballs and showing her. "Oh, awesome!" her eyes lit up, taking a few from his hands.

"Hey, you're not the trainer." Ash took them back, the girl frowned. "If I leave them with you, you'll only get them into trouble."

"I promise I will not, swear on my powers." Zo smiled.

"Nope."

"Oh, come on! Can you at least leave one?"

"…Well…I guess she's not so bad, so she can stay with you."

"Yes!"

"You two will stay in the camp, you will _not_ run around."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Come on, hand her over!"

"…Fine…"

"Ha ha! Finally, someone who will understand me!" Zo said victoriously, taking the pokeball being offered to her. She smiled, jumping up and down happily.

"All right, don't get into trouble, I'm heading out for a while." Ash left the area, leaving the pokemon happy with her new friend companion.

"It's been a while, but come on out!" Zo said happily, tossing the pokeball into the air. The light burst onto the dirt, taking quick form of a figure.

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe this…You guys…" Ash smiled to himself, still moving through the trees. However, this time, he wasn't going back to the central area. "All right, buddy…Let's go!" he tossed a pokeball in his hand, the brilliant flash of blue taking form a few feet from him. It had taken form of the green dragon from earlier, a long tail and red covers over its eyes. "We're flying a little south." the dragon nodded, smiling as its trainer hopped onto its back. It flapped its large wings, taking off into the air and darting down toward a familiar body of water.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey, has anyone seen Shadow lately?" Dawn asked, looking around.<p>

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen him since his battle with Paul." Misty added, now searching the area.

"He battled _Paul_?" Max asked, jaw agape. The girls nodded. "Why didn't you tell us!"

"You were still looking for Dawn, but I already found her." Misty told him.

"Bringing us to the next question…Why didn't you find us and _tell us_!" Max asked again.

"No need to get mad, Max." the connoisseur told him.

"But it was Paul and Shadow! That would have been amazing!" Max nearly shouted, complaining.

"It was." Dawn remarked, smiling. Max glared at the blunette. "Come on, let's find Shadow!"

"Dawn, wait! Man…" Iris sighed, watching the girl quickly disappear at high speed. At that moment, another figure had arrived behind them.

"Hey, where's she off to?" the brunette asked, everyone jumped.

"Jeez, May!" Max sighed, holding his chest. The brunette laughed. "It's not funny, I could have died!"

"No you couldn't have. Anyway, you didn't answer." May looked at him expectantly.

"Sorry, I was preoccupied trying to breathe and recover from shock. Dan went out looking for Shadow." Max told her.

"Shadow? You haven't seen him?" May asked, the boy smiled slyly as he turned, adjusting his glasses.

"Look who's finally come around…" he stated, laughing quietly. The girl hit him on the head.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's help!" she quickly disappeared. The boy rubbed his head, shaking his head in confusion.

"To think, yesterday she was talking about smothering him in his sleep…" Max muttered, earning confused and shocked looks from everyone. "What?"

* * *

><p>"I know I said no…But…I think I need a doctor…" Hilbert muttered, weakly moving toward the centre. Earning surprised look as he moved toward the desk, he was greeted by a shocked Nurse Joy. "No time to explain. Please, help me." he leaned on the desk.<p>

"I don't major in human anatomy, but I'll try." the nurse helped him into a back room, lying him on a bed. He looked around, seeing various weak pokemon resting. "Don't you move, I'll be right back." the nurse smiled, leaving him.

"Man…What did I do to deserve this…" he sighed, resting his head back as he closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps. "Nurse Joy?" he asked, too tired to open his eyes.

"I learned something interesting recently, Hilbert. From Ash." the man's eyes snapped open in surprise, seeing Hilda grinning down at him. He didn't have to think about it to know.

"Backstabbing son of a -"

* * *

><p>"Have you seen Hilbert?" Max asked, looking at the others.<p>

"Now that you mention it, I haven't see him…For a long time." Iris stated. Cilan put his finger to his chin.

"If I think…It's been a few days since I've seen him." the connoisseur told them.

"Days? Wonder where he could be…" Max shrugged. "If he can put up with Shadow for years, he can take care of himself."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

* * *

><p>Ash slid off the back of the green dragon, smiling as he looked out at the large body of water. The dragon lowered its head, nudging Ash's shoulder. He rubbed the dragon's head, taking the pokeballs from his pockets. "…Alright, guys!" he tossed the spheres into the air in a few tosses, multiple blue bursts of light crashing into the ground. In a few seconds, a group of friendly pokemon stood in front of him. "It's great to see you guys again." suddenly, a few figures toppled him over.<p>

"_Esp espe!_" a small pink cat said happily, licking its trainer's face.

"_Umb umbre!_" a small black with black rings chanted, licking the opposite cheek of the pink cat. Ash sat up, smiling as the pair smiled at him. Suddenly, two large hands wrapped around just below his neck from behind.

"_Ape primeape!_" the monkey smiled, holding its boxing loves around him. Suddenly, Ash felt the collar of his shirt shift up as he was lifted into the air.

Hearing a friendly growl, he looked over to see himself being held up by a large smiling green tyrant.

"_Niiite!"_ he saw another towering dragon with small wings and claws, along with a pair of antennas from its forehead smiling at him.

"_Flyyy!_" beside the other stood his flying green dragon, smiling at him.

"_Gerlade_." As the dragon lowered Ash to the ground, he noticed a human-sized figure stood smiling a few feet away. It's top half was green and lower half was white, slender arms with blades extending from the elbows. Its head had a green crest on the top, and a red blade seemed to pierce through its chest at first glance.

"_Rah_." another figure stood beside it in a similar fashion, smirking. It was a blue and black-furred canine standing on its hind legs, with a single claw on the back of its paws and one on its chest.

"_Zzzz_!" Ash could make out the sound of an electrical current, looking around. Suddenly, he felt a shock on his back. He turned around, seeing the small floating figure laughing at him. It was a small orange head with two arms of electricity emerging from the sides. As he looked at the final figure, he couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

"_Krook_." being one of a fashionable sense, he had emerged from the ground in the central area of the League, just as his dragons had flew in. It was a large red and black crocodile standing on its strong, hind legs with short but sharp-clawed arms. Its pointy snout had several pointy teeth sticking out, but the most unusual and noticeable thing about it was the red pair of sunglasses covering its eyes. Ash moved a few feet back, getting a view on all his pokemon in a group again. He smiled, looking at each one.

"…It's amazing you guys managed to get here so organized, not to mention even knowing I was here. By the way, did that happen to be Hilbert?" the pokemon looked at each other, giving him a confused look. "It wasn't him?" they shook their heads, surprising Ash. "Then…What was he talking about…? Oh well, that will happen when it does. So, how have you guys been on your own?" everyone chanted their own names, minus the two hand-to-hand Sinnoh fighters, who remained with their self-control and dignity. "That's great to hear, I'm glad no one's tried to catch you." everyone laughed together.

"_Espeon espe!_" the small cat chimed, its tail sweeping the grass happily.

"I'm glad you're here too, Espeon. I know you all chose to go your own paths, but I'm happy to see you all again." Ash told them, smiling.

"_Primeape prime!"_ the ape punched its fists out, jumping back and forth.

"You will get to battle, all of you. The tournament is well in, so there will be plenty of chances since the final round is full six-on-six." the pokemon chanted happily. "But most importantly, have you all been keeping up on your training?" they all nodded. "Alright, just making sure. I couldn't imagine you guys disobeying me, though, expect maybe Rotom." the small electric-type moved around in the air, laughing in a high-pitched electrical voice.

"_Lade, gerlade._" the fighting-type looked around.

"Don't worry, Gallade, I left her to keep Zorua company." the fighter nodded. "Now, who's up for practice rounds?"

* * *

><p>Hilda rubbed her hands together, smiling satisfyingly as she walked out of the room. Behind her, on the table, lay Hilbert in a pained heap again. "Ow…Damn Ash…" he muttered, groaning in pain. "…I hope they got to him, at least…If so, he's probably thinking of how to kill me…"<p>

* * *

><p>"When is my next battle…" Hilda muttered, looking down the names on the board.<p>

"Oh, Hilda." the brunette looked up, seeing Leaf smiling.

"Oh, Leaf. Hey." Hilda smiled, looking back at the board.

"Hey, have you seen Ash anywhere?" she asked, now scanning down the board as well.

"No, I actually haven't. Not since his battle with Paul, anyway." Hilda responded. "Finally!"

"Would he be at the camp?" Leaf asked her.

"Tomorrow at 8 AM…Sorry, what?" Hilda looked at her. "…Eh, maybe. Either that or that lake down south."

"Lake?" Leaf inquired, looking at her confused.

"Yeah, there's a lake just past Victory Road. It's supposed to be really peaceful and beautiful, Ash really likes it there. Helps him relax." Hilda explained, giving a smile. "Now, when is Ash's next battle…"

"Oh, there I am. Tomorrow at eight thirty…" Leaf muttered to herself, giving a nod. "You find Ash yet?"

"Almost…Ah, here." Hilda pointed, the two read the names. Hilda blinked. "Oh, this is going to be fun…"

"Why? Who's this 'Trip' person?" Leaf looked at her.

"Trip was his rival through Unova. He only beat him once, at the Unova League." Hilda told her, Leaf nodded.

"I guess it sounds like it will be interesting," Leaf smiled, walking from the board. Hilda followed her as the pair walked through the doorway. "So, have you seen Hilbert around?"

"Oh, he's around." Hilda replied, smiling to herself. A sudden buzzing noise through the area surprised them.

"Attention, competitors! It's finally the moment you've been waiting for! That's right, the anticipated third round begins…now!"

"Wow…We're finally here…" Hilda said.

"Yeah…" Leaf replied, looking at the ground. "…That means…"

"What is it?" Hilda looked at her. The brunettes looked at each other.

"…They'll be displaying our real names now…" Hilda frowned, giving a nod. "I can't help but feel bad for him…"

"I know, me too…" Hilda trailed off, looking away. "Me and Hilbert…Zo…You…Nurse Joy…Paul, I think…"

"Are you naming everyone who knows?" Leaf asked her.

"Yeah. I saw Paul say something to Ash before he left the battlefield and Ash looked shocked, but I'm not sure." she told her, frowning. "…Still, poor guy…"

"Well, we're still going to support him," Leaf gave a smile. "Come on, let's go find him."

"Yeah, you're right. In case he didn't hear that message." Hilda smiled, the pair moving back toward the campsite. As they moved into the clearing, they saw Zo lying on the grass with something else. A white figure with two arms on the sides of its head, as well as a red crest on its chest and two chunks of ice on its head. "Zo?"

"Huh?" she looked up. "Oh, Leaf and Hilda." she sat up, giving a smile. "I was just catching up with Froslass."

"You have a froslass? But…You're a pokemon yourself." Leaf said, confused. Hilda, Zo and the ice-type laughed.

"No, it's not mine. It's Ash's." Zo told her, the ice-type nodding.

"Oh…How did Ash catch a froslass?" Leaf asked, eying the pokemon curiously.

"We were traveling on Mt. Silver and got a little lost, thanks to Ash. Froslass was a passerby pokemon and decided to help us, she led us to a small cave for shelter until a blizzard passed over." Zo explained.

"So…Ash just decided to catch it?" Leaf tilted her head.

"No, Pikachu and I had gotten a cold, being small pokemon and all. She saw Ash taking care of us by using his own clothing, leaving him freezing cold and thought he was a pure trainer. She asked to join." Zo explained, the female pokemon nodding.

"She wasn't afraid or anything?" Leaf asked.

"Like Zo said, she saw Ash taking care of his pokemon like family. Besides, she was a Sinnoh pokemon on a Johto landmark. She was abandoned there by her trainer, feeling a negativity toward trainers." Hilda explained. "That's why she hesitated on saving Ash. But, she decided to save him anyway."

"Good thing, too, or else me and Pikachu probably would have frozen to death. Not to mention Ash." Zo added, frowning. At that moment, a small yellow mouse emerged form the tent, wiping its eyes. "Oh, sorry, Pikachu. Guess we woke you up." the mouse nodded, giving a yawn as it moved toward the ice-type. The two smiled, hugging in reunion. "I guess you two haven't seen each other in a while, just like us." Zo smiled.

"You're all Ash's pokemon, it's understandable." Hilda nodded, crossing her arms and smiling. "That reminds me, Zo…The third round just started."

"The third round?" Zo looked at her, everyone but Froslass' smile disappearing. "…Does Ash already know?"

"We don't know where he is, so we're not sure. We think he's down by the lake." Hilda told her.

"There's no way he would hear out there…" Zo said to herself, then stood. "Let's go get him. He needs to know before he goes to battle." the ice-type rose beside her, holding the mouse in its arms.

"All right, let's go." Leaf said, heading toward the trees again. Surprised, Froslass felt Pikachu squirm from her arms and move to her head, jumping onto Leaf as she moved past. "Pikachu?"

"I think he wants to travel with you, he must trust you as much as Ash." Hilda smiled, watching the mouse move to her shoulder. Leaf looked at the mouse, who was smiling and nodding. She smiled.

"Okay, let's go get Ash." the group headed out.

"Oh, hold on!" Zo suddenly said alarmingly, dashing back to the tentside.

"What did you forget?" Hilda asked, giving a sigh.

"I didn't forget anything, I just had an idea." Zo crouched by the side of the tent, then stood and turned facing them, smiling with pokeballs in her hands. "Flying will be faster, not to mention they will listen to Pikachu and me." the mouse nodded. She tossed the pokeball, releasing the large red lizard and large brown-feathered bird.

"_Pikapi, chupi pikachu chi." _the mouse told the flying-types, getting responding nods as they lowered their wings to the ground.

"Come on," Zo hurried onto the back of Charizard, joined by Leaf as Hilda climbed onto Pidgeot. Froslass hovered beside Pidgeot, avoiding Charizard. "Let's go, guys! To the lake!" Zo pointed, smiling as the two flapped their wings and took off from the ground. As the two flew, Froslass hovered beside Pidgeot in the air.

* * *

><p>"Shadow!" Dawn called, looking around.<p>

'Calling for him isn't going to help, Dawn." the brunette told her, then something caught her eye. She tapped Dawn's shoulder, pointing into the distant air where two vague figures were made out flying in the air, heading south.

"Could that be Shadow?"

**END**

**What **_**is **_**Hilbert speaking of? Who could 'they' be?  
><strong>**Will the girls and Pikachu find Ash?  
><strong>**Will May and Dawn find Ash?  
><strong>**How will Ash fare in his first battle of the third round?**

**Since I'm especially bored, here's a riddle. Pretty simple.**

_**I follow you around.  
><strong>**I'm the perfect ninja.  
><strong>**I come and go as the day passes.  
><strong>**I can't do things myself.**_


	29. Chapter 29

**My internet is fixed! Finally~!**

**The riddle answer was shadow. Like I said, easy. I'll try to keep those up, maybe.**

"Man, Lucario, you've gotten better..." Ash smirked, panting lightly as he faced the aura pokemon. The pokemon nodded, smirking at him as it charged. "But, your strategy still needs improvement!" he waited as the pokemon drew closer then thrust its fist out, but Ash pulled a move from the matrix, bending back ad letting the fist go over him. He grabbed the canine's arm, lifting him up and throwing him backwards. Lucario, however, had managed to squirm its arm around in his grip, tightening its grip on Ash's arm as well. Lucario landed on its feet barely, grunting as it lifted a surprised Ash into the air. Colliding into the ground on his back, he grunted. "...All right...I take that back..."

"_Lade gerlade_." the psychic-type laughed lightly at its trainer, its arms crossed. Ash sat up.

"I am not getting soft, I'm training just as much as I ever have." the pokemon arched an eyebrow. "...At least, since I've taken training seriously..."

"_Lade_." the two fighting-types chuckled together, Ash shaking his head as he leaned back.

"You two always gang up on me..." the pokemon nodded, then Ash felt himself lifted to his feet. He looked up, smiling as he rubbed his hand on the large tyrant. "And you've always been there to support me, buddy." the pokemon nodded, smiling down on him. "You know, this probably wouldn't happen if _she_ were around." the two fighting-types stopped laughing, staring at him in surprise.

"_Gerlade ger, lade erlade_."

"I don't know, I might just call her back now." he said tauntingly, crossing his arms and looking away. "It has been a while, after all..." the pokemon lowered their heads in defeat, giving a nod. "Good. I've always wondered how she manages to keep a lock on you two, but I guess it's a Sinnoh thing."

"_Froooslass!_" the two pokemon cringed, their eyes darting to the sky. Ash looked up, confused, then smiled as he saw the ice-type descending from the air. She stopped in front of the fighters, giving them a strange look. They took a step back, then she turned to Ash, hovering over and hugging him. "_Loss froslass!_"

"It's great to see you too, Froslass. It's been a while." he hugged the pokemon back, then pulled away as the two smiled at each other.

"Very touching, but there's more important issues!" Ash gave a sigh, looking in the sky to see his dragon and feathered bird descending. They landed a few feet away, surprised to see Leaf hop off with Hilda and Zo.

"Zo and Hilda, but I can't say I expected you, Leaf." Ash greeted, looking at her. She crossed her arms, smiling.

"Great to see you too, but I had nothing better to do." she told him, giving a wink. He looked at the mouse on her shoulder, who smiled.

"All right, good to see you then. Anyway, what's thi-" but he stopped as he saw the girl dash over to his pokemon happily.

"Oh my gosh, it's great to see you guys again!" she jumped up and down, earning nervous looks from the pokemon. The pair of fighting-types sighed, shaking their heads. "It's been so long, I've missed you guys!"

"_Nite_?" the large dragon asked, looking down at the smaller figure.

"Relax, guys, it's just Zo." Ash told them, shaking his head in amusement. All the pokemon looked surprisingly at her again, wondering how they hadn't recognized the energy.

"_Espe!_" the small pink pokemon jumped into Zo's arms, now happily licking her cheek.

"Great to see you, Espeon!" she laughed with the smaller pokemon, stroking her fur. Umbreon paced around her feet, impatiently waiting for his turn.

"Don't worry, Umbreon, you're next." Zo smiled down at the black figure, who smiled and nodded.

"Those two are always friendly..." Ash smiled, then noticed Leaf looking surprised. "Surprised?" he asked the obvious, the brunette looking at him.

"Uh...Yeah...I never would have imagined you having so many pokemon, Ash..." she stated, looking at each of the pokemon in the area.

"Plus the tens of others back at the campsite," Ash added, crossing his arms again. "And the others around the world who chose not to join us."

"But, that was in freedom of choice," Hilda stated, Ash nodded. "They had the right idea, not wanting to travel with you."

"Way to make me feel good. Anyway, what's this news Zo was talking about?" Hilda's expression turned grim, frowning.

"Well..."

"_Zzzz!_" as Leaf shrieked, everyone immediately looked towards her, then frowned as they saw the small electric-type floating in front of her, laughing.

"Rotom." Ash scolded, the small pokemon floating away. "Sorry, he's always been mischievous. Living in the Old Chateau, the only thing he had to do was scare people." Ash told her, the brunette holding her chest.

"Oh, no worries...Just almost died, it happens every day..." she said calmly, breathing in and out.

"Yeah, he's always been like that." Zo added, lowering Espeon to the ground. The pink pokemon sadly moved from her arms, then the black figure quickly jumped into them.

"He's a lot like you, in a way," Zo huffed, puffing out her cheeks as Ash shook his head in amusement. "So, what's the news?"

"Well..." Zo hesitated, then opened her mouth to answer.

"Yoohoo! Shadow!"

"Oh, come on..." Zo sighed, recognizing the voice. Everyone looked at a single spot of trees, where the voice had been heard close-by, and now a blunette and brunette were moving through the bushes.

"Oh, Shadow! We finally found you!" the blunette said happily, clasping her hands together as she dashed towards him. Dawn stopped dead as two figures appeared in front of her, one's blades glowing black and the other holding a blue sphere in the air.

"More wild training buddies?" May asked, looking at the intimidating opponents facing her friend. Ash shook his head.

"No, these guys are more in loyalty under me. Lucario, Gallade," the pokemon looked back at him, then nodded and stopped their defensive acts. They moved back with the other pokemon. "Sorry about that, they've always been defensive when someone they don't know approaches me."

"Only expected from the pokemon of Shadow!" Dawn got starry-eyed, looking at the two figures moving away. As they walked, they felt nervous as they felt the girl's stare at them. "Wow, are _all_ of these yours?" she asked, blinking and looking around.

"Some old friends came to help," Ash nodded, the pokemon nodding as well. "So, how did you guys know where I was?"

"We saw something flying over here, so we thought it was you. We ran all the way here." Dawn responded happily, Ash hiding his surprise.

"...You ran...through the Victory Road..."

"Yep."

"..."

"Aww, they're so cute!" everyone looked at May, who was moving toward Zo. Her eyes were evidently set on the small black and pink figures, who looked curiously at her. She crouched, held her hand a few inches from Espeon, who sniffed and licked her hand while May pet her with her other hand. "Adorable!"

"Those two are definitely my most friendly, they're always eager to make friends," Ash told her, watching Umbreon glare at Espeon in jealously. "But when one gets attention, the other tends to get mad." May looked questionably at him, then at Umbreon and understood what he meant, seeing the jealousy and anger in its expression. She stood up, petting the dark-type to its happiness and Espeon's disappointment.

"Oh my gosh, it's so beautiful!" now looking at Dawn, everyone saw her looking admiringly at the floating ice-type from a few feet away. It smiled, holding its arms out to the blunette, who took them and smiled. "The grace and beauty, it would be perfect for a contest!"

"That's not the first time I've heard that, I've actually entered with her once or twice," May, Dawn and Leaf looked surprisingly at him. "It was a long time ago, but we did enter and win a few contests, didn't we, Froslass?"

"_Lass!_" the ice-type nodded, smiling.

"You won a contest?" May asked, taken back by this news.

"Of course he did, he's Shadow! With his strength and matched with Froslass' grace, they can't lose!" the ice-type rubbed the back of its head, nodding.

"That doesn't quite make sense, Dawn..."

"Hmm?"

"...Never mind..."

"Hey, where's-" he cut off, seeing Hilda standing over by the dragons and fighting-types, talking with them. "Ah, should have known."

"So, Shadow, who are you using for your next battle?" May asked, looking over at him.

"Probably some of these guys, not sure who yet, though." Ash shrugged, looking at each of his pokemon.

"Any of them will be great, I'm sure. Plus it'll be cooler, now that the trainers can choose the battle styles themselves." Dawn stated, smiling. Ash stared at her. "...W-What is it?"

"...What do you mean?" he asked.

"What do I mean? About what?" she asked, looking at him confused. Zo, Hilda and Leaf felt uneasy.

"Ah, Shadow, that reminds me about-" Zo started, but Ash held up his hand.

"Hold on. You just said something about the trainers choosing their own battle styles..." Ash trailed off, hoping he was wrong.

"Yeah, that's what happens in the third round." Dawn told him. Ash cringed.

"Third round? But, that hasn't started yet." Ash responded.

"You didn't hear? They just had the announcement about ten minutes ago, the third round started." everyone stared at Ash, who remained still. You could barely tell he was alive anymore, he just...stared...

"...Ah, Shadow...We've been meaning to tell you..."

**END**

**Who will Ash battle?  
>Where is Paul and the guys?<br>What **_**are**_** Hilbert's 'gifts'?**

**Now, another riddle. Not sure if it's better than the shadow one, but hey, I only try so much. It's not like I'm a kid with **_**energy**_** or anything_._**

_**Kings and queens may cling to power.  
>And the jester's got his call.<br>But, as you may all discover.  
>The common one outranks them all.<strong>_


	30. Chapter 30

**The riddle answer: an ace (pretty straightforward, in a deck of cards). I appreciate the reviews, so thanks for that.  
>Sorry I kind of delayed his appearance, but I promised he would come into the story. Now is the time!<strong>

"Uh...Shadow?" Zo asked, waving her arm in front of Ash's face. No response.

"Shadow? Is something wrong?" May asked, her head tilted in confusion. Still no response. As everyone was focused with Ash, Pikachu darted toward the other pokemon and hid behind the larger species.

"Shadow, come on. Snap out of it." Hilda told him, snapping her fingers. No response.

"Shadow, do you want to go shopping?" Leaf asked, he shook his head and blinked.

"Huh?"

"Wow, Leaf, how did you know that would get him?" May looked at her, surprised.

"Because he had so much fun on our last trip, I could just tell." Leaf stuck her tongue out playfully, winking at the trainer.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something." he blinked, the girls smiled.

"He's still a typical guy," May stated, putting her hands to her hips. While this display continued, the pokemon watched in confusion, especially the males, as the women teased their trainer. The two fighting-types glanced at each other, closing their eyes with a sigh. Their backs straightened, however, they cringed as a chill was felt in the air thanks to a nearby ice-type, who was smiling innocently to them.

"So, Shadow, what were you thinking about?" Dawn asked, smiling sweetly at him. He cringed.

"I...Just a strategy, is all," he told her, hoping she would believe it. "The third round will be difficult, after all, so I'm going to need to think more."

"You'll do fine, you're Shadow!" she beamed.

"Though he will have difficulty eventually, since he will have to fight me." Hilda stated, smirking as she crossed her arms.

"I won't be letting him just slip by, either." Leaf added, smirking as well. The three looked at each other, each wearing a similar smirk. "Oh, Shadow, haven't you seen Hilbert around?"

"No, but I have a feeling he's closer than you think," Ash replied, glancing at an innocently smiling Hilda, whistling a tune. "Besides, if he can survive my Charizard, he can take care of himself."

"Aren't you concerned, though?" she asked. Ash looked at her in confusion, noticing her peculiar expression. As if...she was expecting something.

"...Oh, all right, I'll go look for him." Ash sighed, stepping towards his pokemon. Taking the hint, his green dragon lowered its wings to the ground, allowing its trainer to climb onto its back. "I'll be going back to the camp, so Zo, make sure you bring back each of the pokemon." the girl nodded. "All right, Flygon," the dragon flapped its wings, taking into the air and speeding away.

"Wow...What a guy..." Dawn said, her eyes gleaming as she watched him fly away. May nodded, while the other three girls looked at each other with a sigh and a shake of their heads.

* * *

><p>"Man, this guy really gets on my nerves..." Ash muttered, looking below as the central area came into view. "'Aren't you concerned though', no I am not, because he can survive my Charizard. That's like telling a caterpie to fight a flock of pidgeot." Ash muttered in frustration, mentally cursing his friend as he jumped off the dragon's back, landing on his feet. Taking his pokeball, he returned the dragon and walked toward the centre. "Nurse Joy," he said upon entering, the nurse looking up at him.<p>

"There is no way to change the rules of the third round," she told him, frowning.

"Wha- Oh, that's not what I'm here for." Ash said, understanding what she had thought. "No, I'm here for my friend, Hilbert. I heard from Hilda he came here with injuries."

"Yes, he did. I was going to help him, but when I went to get the medicine from the other room, I came back to find him in worse condition. It's surprising, as if the centre is haunted and hates him." Ash mentally laughed, picturing his female friend posing as a nurse to sneak up on the guy. "But, even more surprising, I went to go get more medicine. When I came back again, he was gone completely!"

"Gone? No note or anything?" Ash asked. She shook her head. "Hm...That doesn't sound like him..."

"I'm concerned, really, he's greatly injured with no medicine, and he's out who-knows-where." the nurse told him, frowning. "I hope he's okay..."

"Something tells me he'll bounce back," Ash told her, smirking to himself. "Anyways, I heard it's finally the third round."

"Yes, I'm afraid so. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel sorry for you, but I admit it's a good thing." she told him, her lips curling into a smile. "We both knew this would come eventually and you would have to face them, so it's a good thing it came around sooner. Get it out of the way."

"I know, that's true, but...I can't help but feel guilty." he said, leaning backwards against the counter. "I left them. Just upped and left. If you were in my place, what would you do?"

"To be honest, I probably never would have left in the first place. But, if we're talking about now, I would start easing them into it." she told him, smiling. "Instead of letting it fall as a ton of bricks on them, start picking off the wall by giving them hints that you're somebody they should figure out." she explained. Ash nodded.

"I was thinking that when I first came here," he said, standing straight. "Thanks again, Nurse Joy." she smiled, giving a nod as he turned toward the battle board. Reading down the names, he found his after a few minutes. "...What a way to start the third round..."

* * *

><p>"That traitor..." the male muttered, limping through the trees. "What are they doing...They were supposed to have done something by now..." he muttered, frowning as he leaned against a tree for support. "...Man...This guy is so gonna get it...Once they choose to do something..." he said to himself, closing his eyes. His body ached, his head was spinning at what his friend could have possibly told his female friend to make her mad, and his act of revenge was late. "I guess you got off lucky this time, Ash..."<p>

"I told you, now we're lost."

"No we're not, besides, we should know this place the most by now."

"Despite that, you still managed to get us lost."

"What the...?" Hilbert muttered, opening his eyes and looking to his left. Through the trees, four faint figures were made out. He weakly stood again, moving through the trees and moving closer to the small group. "Excuse me? Are you lost?" he asked, still moving towards them.

"Yes, thanks to this so-called guide master."

"I told you, I have deep and connective instincts that help me with anything."

"Hey, that voice sounded familiar. Don't you think so?"

"I agree...I think we've finally found him..."

"Him?" the young man asked in confusion, finally passing through the final bit of trees and bushes. His eyes widened as he saw the four figures clearly.

"Hilbert!"

"_There_ you guys are!"

* * *

><p>"And that's the last of them," Zo said, putting the final pokeballs into the bag. She closed it, setting it back by the tent's side as she sighed. "Jeez, where is the guy...?"<p>

"Don't worry about him, he's probably gathering his thoughts," she looked over at the brunette, who was stirring a pot over a fire. "It's the third round, he needs to think before this all happens."

"I agree, none of us can say why because we don't know what it's like to be in the situation," Leaf told them, pushing the steak into the ground. She stood, smiling as she looked at her self-made tent.

"Why did you move into our campsite again?" Zo asked.

"Because I'm your friend. Besides, Ash won't be able to say no to me, and he'll see that I can make a tent myself." she smiled proudly, puffing her chest out. The two girls sighed.

"Whatever you say..."

"Ash can't say no to me, it's just a childhood friend thing. You wouldn't quite understand." she told them, crawling into her tent. "You can't deny Ash is a great guy, always saying yes to help others."

"And he's helping you...How?" Zo asked, arching her eyebrow as she crawled into her tent.

"He's helping give a home to a very close friend. He can't deny he likes me." Leaf smiled to herself, then poked her head out of her tent, crossing her arms under her chin. She saw Zo do the same thing in her tent, looking at her.

"Coming from the girl who's liked him since he was, like, four?" she asked, one brow raised. Leaf's pinks turned pink.

"I'm not denying it, I'm just saying it's not as obvious." she smiled, giving a wink before lying her head down, closing her eyes.

"Leaf, why are you resting? You haven't done anything recently," Hilda said, then gave a puzzling look. "Come to think of it, I haven't even seen you battle. I don't think anyone's seen you battle, do you do it at night or something?"

"No, they go by quickly because my opponents talk high and mighty. Stuff like that only leads to your defeat." she yawned, looking back at Hilda. "Besides, when's your next battle?"

"Tomorrow at eight, remember? You were right beside me," Hilda told her, the brunette laughed. "Growing up with Ash must have given you some of his traits."

"What?" she asked, looking back at her. The brunette shook her head, smiling. "Since I'm only a half-hour after you, why don't you come watch me then? If you're so keen on it."

"All right, deal." Hilda nodded.

"Hey, I want to come too!" Zo complained, frowning from her tent. "I'll meet you guys by the statue tomorrow at that time."

"Agreed."

"It's a deal, then."

* * *

><p>"It's a deal, then."<p>

"What's a deal?" Ash asked, stepping into the clearing. All three girls jumped, glaring at the trainer. "What?"

"Don't do that!"

"I'm sorry I scare people by walking calmly into my own campsite," he looked over at Leaf, then gave a puzzled look. "Wait, why are you here? And why's your tent actually normal?"

"I can make a tent, thank you very much."

"...Yeah, do you remember what it looked like before we met?"

"...Shut up..."

"She's here because she wanted to be closer to you," Zo told him, giving a yawn. The brunette's cheeks heated up. "Why don't you two just kiss and save us all this prolonging crap?"

"W-What do you mean! What was in your pokemon food this morning!" Leaf began laughing, quickly crawling out of her tent and jumping over Zo into hers. Zo gave a funny look, then surprisingly felt herself dragged in the tent. Ash and Hilda stared in confusion, then looked at each other.

"...Uh...What was that?"

"I dunno. I think Leaf was probably trying to shut her up."

"Ah, seems about right." he nodded, leaning down against a close tree. He leaned back, closing his eyes. "...The third round already..."

"_Pika_!" the two looked at the tent, where a small yellow figure dashed out. He panted, moving beside his trainer. "_Chupi kapichu pi_." the mouse explained, moving onto his trainer's lap.

"I understand why you ran, Pi." Ash told him, beginning to stroke his fur as he got comfortable. "I understand completely."

"What did he say?" Hilda asked.

"Nothing, you can go look for yourself, though." Ash closed his eyes again, the brunette sighing as she moved toward the tent. Opening the flap, her cheeks heated up as she quickly closed it again.

"...Okay, then..."

* * *

><p>"I wonder where Shadow went...?" Dawn asked, looking around as they moved into the central area.<p>

"Dawn, he's not easy to find. Why are you looking?" May asked.

"Why are you asking this? You're just going to start looking in a few seconds."

"No, I'm not. I just...lost something."

"A boyfriend, maybe..."

"He is not my boyfriend! This is just like the Ash business back in Pallet Town!"

"And both conversations are all facts. Besides, I'm glad to hear that since he's going to be my boyfriend soon."

"Yeah, as if he'd pick you, bluehead. You should go back to Paul."

"What was that! Hey, where is Paul anyway?"

"See, you miss him. How cute. Oh, speaking of which, how is that competition of yours going?"

"Oh, that. I think it's safe to say I'm winning, and I don't think he can really do anything to pull ahead of me."

"We'll see," May said, nodding with a smile.

"Oh, is that Paul? May as well move myself up the ranks even more!" with that, she quickly dashed toward a specific moving male. May shook her head in amusement, turning to start toward the centre. However, someone had gotten in the way as she bumped into them, stumbling back off-balance.

"What are you, blind?" May asked, her eyes closed as she rubbed her forehead from the collision.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking- May?" the brunette opened her eyes, gasping at the sight she saw.

"B-Brendan!"

* * *

><p>"Ash, I just got this weird feeling..." Hilda told him, looking at the trainer. He opened his eyes, looking at her in questioning. "I don't know what, exactly...But I feel like you're not going to like it."<p>

"Wait, is this one of your psychic pranks? That last one was not funny, you know." Ash told her. The brunette moved her hand over her mouth.

"That was awesome," she said to herself, laughing quietly at the memory. "No, that's not it. I just feel like something is coming, and it involves you. Not a good way."

"Oh, yay. Pile on the torture." Ash sighed, closing his eyes again. "You don't happen to feel Hilbert, do you? That would be the most believable source of it."

"...Eh, can't tell that much." she shrugged. She looked in the sky. "...All I can tell is it won't be good for you...And it's a group effort..."

* * *

><p>"All right, is everyone clear on their part?" the injured male asked, leaning against the tree.<p>

"I have one," he looked at the blonde female, who stifled a yawn. "...Why did you wake me for this?"

"I needed all four of you for different parts of my revenge plan," Hilbert told her.

"Why are we being used for revenge?" the taller man asked.

"Because you each have different confusing things to say, and you'll be surprised at his comebacks for what you say." he told them.

"All right, sounds great! I just hope this gives me the ideas I need!" the second female stated, getting excited.

"It will, trust me. This guy is not one to be underestimated, not to mention he's one of the top in this tournament." Hilbert told them, smirking.

"Is he now? What about your little girlfriend?" his face heated up.

"I told you, nothing is going on between us! _Nothing_, now stop mentioning that!" he shouted at them.

"Really? You were such a cute couple, too..." the blonde said quietly, yawning again. Hilbert sighed.

"Whatever, let's just get this done with." he said, looking at each of them individually.

"You mentioned there was a love conflict revolving around him, right?" the older man asked.

"Yes."

"Oh, boy. This is your thing." he said, looking at the blonde.

"If it's as good as it sounded, I will promise to stay awake for it. I can't wait." she yawned again.

"You're off to a bad start."

**END**

**I bet you can guess who they are. Pretty simple.**

**How will May interact with Brendan?  
>How will Hilda and Leaf fare in their battles?<br>Obviously Hilbert's 'gifts', what will the four new figures do to Ash? Who are they?  
>Who is Ash's first opponent in the third round?<strong>

_**One by one we fall from heaven.  
>Down into the depths of past.<br>And our world is ever upturned.  
>So that yet some time we'll last.<strong>_


	31. Chapter 31

**Answer to the riddle: sand in an hourglass. Good job, I actually got quite a few right guesses.**

In the morning of the next day, Ash opened his eyes slowly with a yawn. Stretching, he noticed Leaf, Hilda and Zo eating around the brunette's pot, like every other morning. "You're finally up," Zo said, moving the spoon of soup in her mouth.

"You looked so peaceful, we didn't want to wake you," Leaf smiled. He sighed, standing and moving over to them. Taking a bowl of his own, he sat between Leaf and Zo. Leaf scooted closer to him, smiling sweetly.

"Okay...What am I missing?" he asked, looking oddly at her, feeling nervous.

"So, are you going to watch me battle today?" she asked.

"You're battling today? ...Come to think of it, I haven't seen you battle yet, it's as if you do it at night or something." he thought out loud, taking a mouthful of soup. "...Alright, I guess."

"Great! Marshal Arena at eight-thirty, sharp!" she said happily, giving a wink. Ash looked away, trying to understand the concept of women.

"So, Ash, what time do you battle?" Zo asked, looking at the trainer.

"Yeah, I was wondering that too. Plus, it's the first battle of the third round, so you must be a nervous wreck." Hilda stated, looking at him as well. He calmly took another spoonful of soup, swallowing it and looking at them.

"Ten, and I am _not_ a wreck." he told them. The two rolled their eyes.

"Yeah, right. You should have heard the crap he was spewing when he met you," Zo said, laughing slightly as she nudged Leaf's arm. She looked at her, confused.

"Huh? What do you mean?" she asked, glancing back at him.

"She's just making stuff up now, don't worry about it," Ash told her, calmly having his soup. Zo laughed.

"Ha! Yeah, _right_! He was going on and on about how he met his childhood friend and how he wished it didn't happen, you could barely understand a word he was saying! Literally, he wouldn't even sit still!" she laughed, putting her bowl down beside her. Leaf blinked.

"Wait, what?" Zo looked at her. "Did you just say, he said...He wished he didn't meet me?" she asked, looking back at him. He felt his collar heat up, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked away again.

"Well...Leaf, this was before you knew about me. I only said that because I could imagine a million horrible ways of you finding out, then slapping and pinching me to death." he told her, avoiding eye contact.

"But..." her voice trailed off, sounding as if to start crying. Regetting it, he looked down at her, her eyes glimmered as you could tell tears were about to form. "You...You didn't want to meet me...?" she asked, her lower lip quivering. Ash looked at the other two, who looked at him expectantly with an eyebrow raised each. He sighed.

"Leaf, I'm glad I met you. I don't know what I would be if I hadn't met you when I did, I'm glad it happened." he told her. She stared at him for a few minutes, her eyes shining with sadness.

"But...You didn't want to meet me!" she pouted, turning away from him.

"Alright, Leaf, you can stop faking now." Zo and Hilda looked at him oddly, while Leaf remained with her sad face. "Oh, I guess you two don't know. When we were kids, Leaf used to pretend to be sad all the time and manage to make fake tears, it was surprisingly believable too. But, she used it too often and I can tell when she's faking it." he explained. The two looked at Leaf, who looked back at him with a glare.

"I hate you," she muttered, frowning.

"Sure you do, that's why you're always around me." he replied calmly, taking more soup in his mouth. Her lips perked up.

"Alright, then you have to do one thing to make it up to me," she said sweetly, smiling.

"No."

"Yes you do! You made me cry!"

"No, you made yourself cry."

"No I didn't, they were real! Now, what to do...?"

"I'm not doing it, whatever it is."

"Sure you are!" she punched his shoulder, smiling. "Now...How about a shopping spree?"

"No way."

"Oh, come on! I already told you, it won't kill you!" she told him.

"And I told _you_, you have no idea what I've been through." he responded, shuddering. Zo and Hilda laughed.

"Alright, not a shopping spree. But I will think of something else!" she told him, giving a wink. He frowned, putting his bowl on the grass and standing.

"I'm taking a final walk of peace as Shadow," he told them, starting away.

"Oh, wait!" Leaf jumped up, hurrying after him. "I'm coming with you!"

"I thought you just said you hated me?"

"You know I can never hate you!"

"Uh...Do you have any idea what just happened?" Hilda blinked, looking at Zo. She shrugged.

"Some love thing, I don't really understand human conceptions," she stated, standing up.

"I guess so," Hilda replied, standing beside her. Zo opened her mouth, but Hilda held her hand up. "Don't even make a 'Hilbert and me' joke, and I don't know where he is."

"Wow, you're catching on," Zo smirked, walking past her. "Come on, your battle is soon." Hilda looked at her wrist-held device, gasping as the clock appeared.

"You're right! Let's go!" she dashed out of the clearing, Zo sighed as she trailed behind quite a bit slower than the brunette.

* * *

><p>"It's peaceful, isn't it?" Leaf asked, leaning closer to Ash. He looked away. "Must be the calm before the third round, like a storm."<p>

"Yeah, nobody wants to give away behavioral hints," Ash told her, looking around the nearly empty clearing. "...So much for the gifts..."

"Hmm? You say something?" Leaf looked at him, smiling with her hands behind her back.

"Oh, nothing, just thinking aloud." he assured the smiling brunette, looking ahead again. "..So...Eight-thirty, you said?"

"Yep, I hope you're there to see me. It would mean a lot." she winked to him, smiling.

"So, you're only about half an hour from now," he told her, arching an eyebrow. "You already pick your pokemon or something?"

"Of cour- Oh my gosh, Hilda's battle is soon! I have to go!" without another word, she hurried off, leaving the raven-haired trainer confused.

"...Hilda's battling now?"

* * *

><p>"So, May, how have you been?"<p>

"Oh, uh...Good..." she replied uncomfortably, wishing she was anywhere else. Sitting at a pokemon centre lobby table, across from Brendan. Of anyone, it had to be Brendan.

"That's good to hear, I'm glad we could meet again after yesterday. We haven't seen each other since we were kids, huh?" he asked. She nodded. "We were only five or six back then, but it feels like only yesterday we were neighbors."

"Yeah..." she trailed off, deep in thought. "So...You're in the tournament, then?"

"Yeah. I bet you're here because of your brother, right?" she looked at him, surprised. "I figured as much, I remember how you talked so much about not wanting to be a trainer. When I heard of pokemon contests, I just knew you would enter." he smiled. Her cheeks flashed pink.

"Well...Thanks..." she looked awkwardly at the table, thinking of what to say. What would you say to your childhood friend you haven't seen for years?

* * *

><p>Ash sneezed, rubbing his nose afterwards as he continued toward the battle arenas. "I knew I shouldn't be outside so much..."<p>

* * *

><p>"So...You must be a great trainer, if you're here." May told him.<p>

"Yeah, I'm pretty strong. I don't quite think I will win the tournament, but I have a good chance of getting a top spot." he stated, chuckling. May smiled, shaking her head.

"There you go again, always shooting yourself down," she said.

"You remember that, huh? I guess old habits die hard," he scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "So, I heard your brother went out last round."

"Yeah, he got too confident and blew it," she giggled.

"You say it so bluntly, like you wanted him to lose," he chuckled again.

"No, it's just a sibling thing. I never really understood it myself," she told him, hearing the doors open near her. "So, where have you been since you started your journey?"

"A little everywhere. I started in Johto, of course, but I asked for Professor Birch to send over a Hoenn starter pokemon, since I grew attached to them. You know, how we used to play with them for excersise?" he asked, she giggled and nodded. "I liked the Hoenn starters more than Johto's, so I had the Professor send one over. After going through Johto, I went back to Hoenn and then Sinnoh."

"Cool. I started in Hoenn, then went to Kanto and Johto." she looked down at the table. "Of course, I could never travel alone..."

"So you found some friends?" he asked.

"Yeah. At the beginning of my journey, I met with a boy trying to help his Pikachu. I picked Torchic as my starter shortly after, and we decided to travel together." her cheeks turned pink, looking back up at him. "But, my stupid brother joined once we reached Petalburg, then an old friend of Ash's named Brock."

"Wow, sounds interesting. By the looks of it, you had a crush, then?" her face heated up more, he pointed at her with a smirk. "You're blushing."

"N-No I'm not!" she told him, looking away with a huff. "You're imagining things, it's just really warm in here."

"I've actually been feeling cold," he replied, giving an odd look. She rolled her eyes, then heard the doors open again. Surprisingly, she heard a pair of familiar voices.

"Oh, boy, is it _warm_ in here!"

"When are you going to stop following me?"

"When you do something about this _heat_! I don't think I can stay like this!"

"Don't tell me..." May muttered, looking back around. Just as she thought, she saw a blunette and an emotionless young man, the blunette evidently annoying him while he was trying to get away. "So she found him again...Poor guy..."

"More friends of yours?" Brendan asked.

"Yeah, just ignore them," she told him, looking back at him.

"Wait, is that Paul?" he asked, looking closely at him. Dawn looked over, her face lighting up as she recognized the back of her brunette friend.

"May!" she exclaimed happily, moving quickly towards them and stopping beside her. May sighed quietly, giving a forced smile to her friend.

"Hey, Dawn-"

"Come on, I need you for a sec!" she whispered, dragging her friend out of the chair and back towards Paul. Stopping in front of him, she gave a sigh. "See, Paul? Even May is burning up, you have to help us!" she hugged her friend, poking the brunette's cheek. Her eyebrow twitched.

"Then get out of here, go to your room or something," he told her plainly, turning away. Dawn quickly moved in front of his path, slightly irritating the trainer. "What do I have to do to get you away from me? And nothing about the heat."

"Aww..." she pouted, poking her lower lip out as she let go of May. She put her hand on her hip, a finger to her chin as she thought. "Ah, I got it!"

"Great..." the trainer muttered, glancing around at the few people who were staring at them. "You know, I have somewhere to be right now, so we'll start this again later. Or never, I would actually prefer that." he said, moving past them. Dawn glared back at him.

"Coward...You know I was going to get you..." she muttered, noticing a boy approaching. "Hello!"

"Uh...Hi." Brendan said nervously, giving a wave.

"Dawn, this is Brendan. Brendan, this is Dawn." May introduced them, the two shaking. Dawn smiled.

"Sorry if you saw that Paul stuff, we're in a competition!" she said cheerfully, the boy giving an odd look.

"I'll tell you later," May said.

"Alright...So, Dawn, how long have you known May?" he asked.

"Oh...I dunno, a few years, maybe? Can't really tell," she said, tapping her chin. "Did you two just meet? You look cute together!"

"Ugh..." May sighed, smacking her palm against her red face. Brendan nearly stumbled, warming up.

"Uh...No, we didn't. May and I are actually childhood friends," Brendan told her, the blunette's eyes lit up.

"So it's a young romance!"

"Shut up, Dawn!"

"Okay, well, I actually have to be somewhere right now..." Brendan said uncomfortably, unsure what to make of the situation. He looked at May with a smile. "It was great seeing you again, May."

"Y-Yeah, you too..." she felt the heat rise to her cheeks as the boy exited the centre, the brunette giving a sigh. Dawn looked at her slyly, smiling.

"You like him." she said plainly.

"I do not, he's just an old friend," May responded, crossing her arms. "Besides, weren't you going to chase after Paul?"

"Nah, I'll get him some other time," Dawn replied, waving her wrist. "Besides, I'm much more interested in this childhood business now."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that..."

**END**

**Not much, I know, I've been thinking a little too far ahead and now I'm forgetting what's next. Hilbert and his crew-of-four will be introduced next chapter, probably near the beginning.**

**What is the story behind May and Brendan? What will Dawn think of it?  
>How did Hilda's battle go with Leaf, Zo and Ash watching?<br>How will Leaf's battle go?  
>And last but certainly most anticipated, what will the reactions be of Ash's battle?<strong>

_**I have an end but no beginning.  
>A home but no family.<br>A space without room.  
>I never speak but there is no word I cannot make.<strong>_


	32. Chapter 32

**Answer to the riddle: keyboard. No worries if you were wrong, we all have advantages and disadvantages. Me, that's about everything athletic.  
>So, I've gotten a few reviews that I can tell <strong>_**really**_** want the battle scenes to start again, and I'm here to tell you they will start next chapter. Sorry.**

"You got lucky."

"Nope, it was pure skill!"

"That's why you almost lost in one move," Ash told her, smirking. Hilda huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. "Don't be childish, you have to admit your defeats sooner or later."

"I prefer sooner or never," Hilda remarked, smirking to herself. Looking past Ash, she saw Leaf walking in thought, watching the ground. "Something wrong, Leaf?"

"Huh? Oh, no," she looked at her, smiling. "I was just thinking what I was going to do after this tournament's over."

"Oh, yeah...That's a good point..." Hilda put a finger to her chin, looking in the sky. "...I guess I have to think about that..."

"I was thinking about going back to Kanto, but I'm not sure..." Leaf thought out loud, then leaned forward and looked at Ash, smiling. "So what about you?"

"Don't know," she nearly stumbled, sweat-dropping at his response. "I _was_ thinking of going back to my home. But, you're probably going to stalk me now, aren't you?" the brunette looked away, smiling as she stuck her tongue out.

"Maybe," she giggled, noticing them passing through the doorway to the next battle area. Seeing the field, her eyes burned with determination. "All right, time to win!" she thrusted her fist into the air, smiling happily. Ash, Zo and Hilda watched her, the trio shaking their heads amusingly. Just then, something caught Ash's eye.

"I...I'll be back in a second," Ash said, moving away from them.

"Make sure you don't miss the battle!" Leaf called to him, he lifted his hand in a backwards wave as he continued. Passing through small groups, he reached what he had been going for.

"So, you did see me, then," the man smirked, leaning mysteriously against the wall. Ash stared at him carefully, an eyebrow raised.

"What are you planning?" he asked, not believing this was a coincidence.

"You assume I'm planning something?" the man asked, standing straight. "You certainly underestimate me."

"You were attacked by Charizard hundreds of times, Hilda _thousands_, and somehow your bandages are gone within a day. I doubt know you're not in this alone. Plus, we both remember that beartic incident," Ash said, smirking. The man cringed.

"That was nothing," he waved his wrist, dismissing the thought. "Anyway, there is something I want you to do."

"What makes you think I'll do something for you, Hilbert? I haven't seen your gifts, by the way," Ash told him, the man in the cap nodded.

"They needed a little guidance, turns out. Meet me by Victory Road, five minutes." Hilbert told him, smirking as he moved past him. "Unless you're afraid."

"See you, then." Ash smirked, hearing the man's footsteps grow gradually quiet. He frowned. "Too bad I'm more afraid of losing Leaf's battle, though."

"The battle between the challengers will now begin! For security purposes, names will be revealed after the victor is decided!" the ref raised his flags, Leaf and her opponent gripping their pokeballs. "Decide your battle format!"

"I want two rounds of triple battles!" the boy shouted, grinning.

"All right, you're on!" Leaf called back, unclipping three spheres from her belt.

* * *

><p>"Come on, May! Tell me!" Dawn spoke in a childish tone, shaking the brunette's shoulder.<p>

"No," she responded, shaking her shoulder from the blunette's grip. "Come on, let's find the others."

"I want to know your storyyy!" she whined, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks out. "You're no fun. I bet you would say if Shadow were here."

"Nope," the brunette replied plainly, feeling her cheeks grow slightly warmer. She started at a faster pace, but the blunette had noticed this, smiling slyly.

"Oh, _I_ see..." the blunette jumped in front of her, grinning. May looked at her oddly. "You think I'm going to tell Shadow, and you don't want that because he will become less interested in you."

"Wrong again," the brunette sighed, moving past her. Dawn followed her closely, smiling to herself.

"Wait 'till everyone hears this..."

* * *

><p>"Come on, it's already started!" Max shouted, sighing heavily.<p>

"Go ahead, no one's stopping you." Misty told him, sighing quietly to herself as she looked up at the bottom of the sheets. Suddenly, her sight was overcome by light. "Hey!"

"Get up!" Max glared at the gym leader, the redhead pulling the sheets back over her head. Brock and Cilan watched amusingly with one eye, quickly closing them as the boy looked over towards them.

"I saw that!"

"Wow, what a move..." Hilda muttered, watching awestruck as the attack struck Leaf's pokemon.

"Yeah, no kidding..." Zo replied, staring as if in a trance. Ash glanced at the both of them, deciding to quietly sneak away. Sighing as he reached the main lobby without being dragged back, he headed for the Victory Road exit.

"This better be worth my time..." he muttered, thinking of new torture methods for his male friend. Upon reaching the cave, he looked around but saw no one. He crossed his arms, giving a sigh. "...Sure enough..." he looked to his left sharply, jumping out of the way as a sudden blob of purple exploded on the ground where he had been standing. Smirking, he looked toward the area the attack had been launched. "Have to do better than that, Hilbert."

"I'm afraid I'm worse than Hilbert," Ash looked confused as the voice was not his friend's, but a deeper tone. As he watched, two figures emerged from behind a distant rock. He was a large man in a white sleeveless jacket with the collar open, pants and gloves in the color mixture of orange and yellow matching his nearly invisible hair and eyebrows. Across his chest was a black belt, and beside him stood a human-sized blue frog. "Seems Hilbert was right, you have extremely sharp reflexes."

"Of course," Ash said, watching the man recall his pokemon as he came closer. As he looked suspiciously at the man, it suddenly dawned him. "Wait...You're Marshal. Unova Elite Four's Marshal." Ash remarked, surprised.

"Yes, I am one of Unova's four elites. I came down here to help a friend with a little problem of his," Marshal told him, smirking as he stopped in front of him.

"...Hilbert..." the man nodded, Ash sighed. "...Of course, you must be the gifts he was talking about. So I'm assuming the others are here, as well?"

"He is incredibly sharp, that of a true trainer," another male voice stated, emerging from behind another nearby rock. He wore a dark blue suit with a yellow scarf.

"Hilbert never lies, this one really is a catch," Ash noticed a female in a purple top with a large black collar matching her purple hair, black skin-tight pants and red shoes. "The greatest inspiration!"

"I certainly hope the trouble was as good as he described," another woman stated, Ash hearing a feminine yawn as he looked at the cave entrance. she wore a white dress to above her ankles, the bottom layered in pink. She wore an odd white hat on top of her long blonde hair, running down her back and extending in both directions as well as straight.

"Grimsley, Shauntal and Caitlin." Ash said, looking at each of them individually. They nodded. "So what torture did he have in mind?"

"No torture, we're only here to help you." Ash looked oddly at Grimsley. "We had no intention of torturing Hilbert's friends, so he changed it to helping you."

"How does that work, exactly?" Ash asked, eyebrow arched.

"After Hilbert told us about your problem, we couldn't help but agree for assistance!" the ghost-type girl pulled a book and pen from behind her, smiling as she posed. "Perfect inspiration!"

"In a situation like this, I never deny." the blonde woman said gently, smiling. Ash looked at each of them, frowning.

"What exactly is this situation you're helping with?" Ash asked, getting a bad feeling.

"We were told not to tell you."

* * *

><p>"Wow, that was fast..." Hilda muttered, surprised as the pokemon lie fainted on the field. The boy trainer rushed to their side, returning them as Leaf was congratulating hers.<p>

"Ash really has competition here..." Zo added, just as surprised as Hilda. The two shook their heads, snapping from the trance. "You think he can beat her?"

"I would have said definitely, but now I'm not so sure." Hilda responded, frowning. "They're both really tough, but Ash will probably luck out again."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Zo looked around, confused. "Speaking of which...Where is he?"

"What? He was just here..." Hilda began looking around, confused as the trainer was nowhere in sight.

"Banished for violence, you would make a perfect giratina." the two girls looked behind them, surprised as they saw Hilbert smirking at them, hands behind his head.

"What was _that_ supposed to mean?" Hilda asked, glaring at him as she cracked her knuckles.

"Wait, where the _heck_ have you been? I haven't see you since...Like...I don't even know, probably a few days now!" Zo said hysterically, looking shocked at the man. He closed his eyes, looking away.

"You think a few beatings are enough to keep me down?" he asked, turning away. "That's insulting."

"Oh, yeah, your bandages are all gone." Zo remarked, noticing the man was clean of any white cloth. "How did you heal so quickly?"

"Secrets," he replied, walking away. The two looked at each other, confused.

"That's the last we'll see of him in a while, I have a feeling..." Zo told her, the brunette nodding.

"Was Hilbert just here?" the two looked back, nearly jumping in surprise as Ash stood calmly, arms crossed as he arched an eyebrow. "What?"

"Where did you come from!" Hilda asked, her voice slightly raised from the surprise.

"Here, are you imagining things?" he asked, turning around and seeing the brunette stopping a very short distance from him.

"Aww," she poked her lower lip out, frowning as he noticed her. She moved closer beside him, the trainer moving away. "So, what did you think?"

"Great, only expected from a Pallet Town trainer." Ash remarked, the girl shaking her head.

"Only you would say that," she told him, smiling. "What did you guys think?" she asked, looking at the other two.

"Amazing."

"Awesome."

"Thanks. I've got to go to the centre," she gave Ash a wink, then dashed off toward the healing building.

"Don't say it," Ash said abruptly, noticing the suspicious silence.

"Aww," Zo frowned, crossing her arms. "I hate how you catch on easily."

"I've got to meet someone, so I'l be seeing you at my battle." Ash told them, giving a wave before moving away. He frowned to himself, recalling what he had been told earlier.

* * *

><p><em>"We have a few errands to do right now, so I'm afraid we will have to meet later." Grimsley told him, frowning.<em>

_"We'll meet in ten minutes at the base of Victory Road." Marshal stated, starting away. "Don't disappoint us."_

_"Fine," Ash told them, the four walking away._

* * *

><p>"I know it's a trap, but I have to be sure..." he said to himself, moving through the central area toward the trees. Once hidden, he pulled a pokeball and released his green dragon. Hopping on, he flew towards the rugged land, heading for the furthest point.<p>

"What? He's gone?" Dawn asked, jaw agape as she stared at Hilda and Zo.

"Yeah, he just headed off a few minutes ago." the brunette told her, crossing her arms. "Why? What did you have in mind?"

"Nothing," she replied slyly, turning away and hurrying off. The two looked at each other, confused.

"All right, it's been ten minutes..." Ash muttered, looking at the electronic device on his wrist. As the screen darkened, he sighed for the seemingly hundredth time. "For the honorable elite four, they have a bad sense of time..." he looked around, seeing no one. Just then, he heard echoing footsteps. "Finally," he sighed again, starting inside the cave. As the footsteps got closer, he noticed the off-beat steps as he got closer to the four. "I just know it's a trap...I'll probably come face-to-face with someone I don't want to..." he muttered, turning another corner. As he mentally face-palmed at his stupidity, he read the shocked expressions of the two brunettes and blunette. "I knew it."

"S-Shadow!" May stuttered, surprised at the trainer's appearance.

"Hey, Shadow! Great to see you!" Dawn said excitedly, hands behind her back as she smiled brightly.

"What are you doing here?" Leaf asked, looking curiously at him.

"I was meeting someone, but I have now know it was a set-up." Ash told them, looking away.

"Really? I was surprised to have Shauntal of the Elite Four bump into me, asking to meet me here." May told them.

"I had the same thing with Grimsley." Dawn stated, giving a funny look.

"I bumped into Caitlin, I have to say she's a lot nicer than I imagined." Leaf said, smiling to herself.

"But, why would they all ask to meet us here, then not show?" May asked, giving a strange look. The three girls exchanged confused looks, as Ash stood uncomfortably with a knowing expression.

"Well, I actually promised to meet someone else shortly from now," Ash said uncomfortably, slowly moving backwards. "So...I'll see you later."

"At your battle, ten sharp!" Dawn stated happily, waving to him. He waved, turning his back and giving a strange look to himself as he moved away.

"But I still wonder, why did they call us four here?" May asked, looking at the two again. The three thought, but only Leaf realized why.

"That's it!" Dawn suddenly exclaimed, looking at the brunettes with a determined look in her eyes. "They know the competition."

"What?" Leaf blinked.

"Oh, Arceus..." May sighed, smacking her palm flat on her face.

"We are the three who are competing for Shadow!" Dawn announced, the other two's faces lighting up.

"W-What!" Leaf stuttered, nearly stumbling over. "What do you mean, 'competing for'?"

"Don't play stupid, we know you like him too!" Dawn pointed at her, the brunette feeling uncomfortable and on-the-spot.

"Wait, 'too'?" she asked, glancing at May, who kept her hand covering her face.

"We all like Shadow, and now the Elite Four know it!" Dawn stated, crossing her arms. "I can feel one of us are going to become his girlfriend soon, and I know it's going to be me!"

"G-Girlfriend!" Leaf nearly fell over again, her face burning more. "I do _not_ like Shadow, we're just friends!"

"That's what May said, but you don't know how easy it was to make her crack." Dawn said, smiling victoriously. Leaf looked at May, who had now moved her hand and revealed her burning face.

"I didn't even crack, you just won't shut up!" May told her, glaring.

"If you admit it, I'll stop."

"All right, I like him!"

"..."

"...!"

"_...What?_"

"A-ha! I knew it!" Dawn said victoriously, smiling widely as she began spinning on the spot. "I knew it, I knew it~!"

"Man..." the brunette sighed heavily, her head lowered. Glancing up, she met the surprised gaze of Leaf. "It's only to shut her up."

"But you actually admitted it, so bluntly, too!" Leaf said, shocked. May sighed again.

"Please, don't say anything...With Dawn knowing for sure now, everyone in Unova will know before the end of the week..." May sighed, frowning. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she looked surprisingly at Leaf.

"Women have to stick together, you know," Leaf gave a wink, smiling. May hesitated for a moment, then gave a smile back.

"But not if you're competing!"

* * *

><p>"Charizard," Ash said, watching the burst of light form his red lizard. It got comfy on the ground, looking at him. "You can stay outside from now on, you're now the guard of the camp." the lizard nodded, closing its eyes. "That should teach him to mess with me..." Ash muttered, smirking to himself as he looked at his wrist. As the screen showed the clock, he sighed quietly. Sitting on the ground and closing his eyes, he crossed his legs and held his arms out.<p>

"_Pikapi_?" the mouse asked, poking out of the tent.

"I'm just relaxing, Pi. These are my final moments of peace," he told his partner, his expression remaining neutral. "...Everyone will know, in just half an hour..."

"_Chupi_." opening one eye, he looked down and saw his mouse copying his position, smiling up at him. He smiled.

"Thanks, buddy. We'll do this together." he said, the pair closing their eyes again and losing themselves in the peaceful silence.

* * *

><p>"Where is he?" Hilda asked, tapping her toe as she looked around.<p>

"I don't know, but I know for sure he would never run from a battle." Zo stated, crossing her arms and frowning. "...Although, this is probably the most nerve-wrecking battle he's ever had..."

"He'll be here, definitely." Hilda smiled, then frowned as she closed her eyes, feeling a familiar being nearby. "You better leave, before you get hurt."

"I'm here to watch my friend battle, nothing more." Hilbert said calmly, hands behind his heads as he stopped beside the pair. "So, where is he?"

"Hasn't shown yet," Zo said, beginning to worry as she began looking around. Hilbert looked surprised.

"_He couldn't have run, no way...Where is he...?"_ the man thought, giving a slightly worried look.

"Worried?" Hilda smirked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him.

"No way," he responded, looking away.

"Hilbert! You're alive!" looking ahead, he noticed the familiar group approaching them. "We thought you were dead!" Max exclaimed.

"Nope, nothing's taking me down." Hilbert smirked, looking down at the boy.

"Good to see you well," Brock said, smiling.

"We thought you got hurt in an accident," Cilan added.

"I didn't know you guys cared that much," Hilbert said, surprised at their reactions.

"You're a good friend, Hilbert." Iris smiled.

"We would hate to have another good friend leave," Misty added, frowning. Hilbert immediately recognized that look, giving a smile.

"Hey, don't worry about that." everyone looked at him, confused. "If you're referring to your old friend, Ash, something tells me he'll come back sooner than you think."

"Really?" Max asked, his eyes lighting up. Looking down, he smiled as he put his hand on the boy's hat on his head.

"Guarantee it," Hilbert said, shaking the boy's head as Max smiled happily. Hilda watched Hilbert and the boy with a small, gentle smile. Unbeknownst to her, Zo was standing beside her smiling slyly, watching her. Max then looked around.

"Hey...Where's Shadow? He's supposed to battle any minute now!" the boy remarked, looking oddly at Hilbert.

"He'll be here," Hilbert told him, looking behind him. "...Hopefully..." he muttered quietly, looking back at the boy with a smile.

"I can't wait for this battle! We finally get to know who Shadow really is!" Zo, Hilda and Hilbert cringed, looking quickly at Iris. "What? His name isn't _really_ Shadow, is it?" she asked, noticing the looks being given.

"Uh...No, it's just..." Hilda looked away, avoiding eye contact with the group. "Well...He's not someone you would expect, per say..."

"What do you mean?" Misty asked.

"Well, you know how he's a personal guy..." the group nodded, Zo rubbed her arm as she looked away uncomfortably. "...You may be surprised who he is..."

"So, are you trying to say we should know him?" Brock asked, confused at their words.

"You have no idea..." Hilbert muttered under his breath, looking back at the group with a sweat-drop. "Ah...Yeah, that's what she means."

"Yes, he was..." Hilda trailed off, giving a nervous cough. "...A very famous person..."

"Awesome! That makes me want to know more!" Max pumped his fist in the air, the trio giving a nervous laughter as they exchanged glances.

"Sorry we're late!" everyone looked over, seeing three figures hurrying towards them. Stopping and holding their knees, the three panted heavily. "Leaf...She made us wait for her..."

"Sorry...I'm not...hyperactive..." Leaf panted, giving a glare to the blunette.

"Did...We miss anything...?" May asked, breathing weakly as she looked up.

"No, he's not even here." Hilda told them, the three giving shocked expressions.

"Hey! There's Shadow!" Misty pointed, everyone following her finger's direction. Sure enough, Ash stood on the field talking with the ref and his opponent closely.

"So, our names are announced after the battle?" Ash whispered only for the two to hear.

"Of course, for the Pokemon League's security reasons. I will need your real names now." the ref told them.

"Trip Urban, Unova." Ash's opponent spoke plainly, hands in his pockets as he smirked. The ref and Trip looked at Ash expectantly, he drew his breath and gave a sigh. It was inevitable.

"...Ash Ketchum, Kanto." the two stared at him in surprise for a few moments.

"This is a joke, right?" Trip asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the raven-haired trainer. He smirked.

"Having a nightmare, Trip?" he asked.

"All right, trainers, take your places and we can begin." the ref told them, over his shock of Ash's identity. The two headed toward their boxes, thinking separate thoughts.

"_He's the first one I've told directly...Everyone else figured it out themselves..."_ Ash thought, smirking as he stopped, turning and facing the battlefield in his box.

"_This is impossible...He's disappeared for years, and now he's suddenly back...But this will be different..._" Trip smirked, turning on his heels in his box.

"The battle between challengers will now begin! Trainers, choose your battle format!"

"How about two rounds of double battles, then the final is a one-on-one?" Ash called out, smirking. Trip blinked out of his state of shock.

"Fine with me." he called back. The pair grabbed two pokeballs each, grinning. "Let's go!" Trip's spheres released two floating figures on his side, one a large blue jellyfish-like creature and the other a chandelier with an eery expression and five purple flames.

"Good luck...It's time, you two!" Ash called, hearing a quiet supportive cheer from behind him as he tossed his spheres in the air. As the lights burst onto the field, a few gasps were heard in the crowd as the figures materialized. On one side stood a tall orange and black figure with thick arms and a beard of flames, the other a long green serpent, posing gracefully.

"Battle begin!" the ref raised his flags.

"_Not this time..._" Trip thought, grinning as he recalled his last battle with the boy. This time would be different.

"_After all these years...It's you and me, Trip..."_ Ash thought, grinning as he remembered his close victory of the Unova League. "_And this time, I won't need luck..."_

**END**

**Sorry to end it like that, but don't send angry reviews. I will put up the next chapter a little quicker than usual, so don't show up at my doorstep with a bat or any kind of weapon. I will have it up before the 20th, which is a Tuesday, so expect it before then.**

**May admitted she likes Shadow!  
>Hilbert is fine!<br>The Elite Four are planning against Ash, and Dawn believes it involves romance!**

**How will Ash battle against Trip? With who?  
>What will the Elite Four do with Ash's <strong>_**situation**_**?  
>Just <strong>_**how**_** will the group react to Shadow's true identity?**

**R&R for your opinions, the audience together is stronger than an author. Me, considerably.**


	33. Chapter 33

**I just noticed I forgot a riddle last chapter. Although, I guess they aren't even really that tricky, huh? If you're planning on leaving a review, I would appreciate an opinion on the riddle-each-chapter thing, just so I have a vague idea on how many readers enjoy it.  
>Anyway, battle time! I've made you wait, basically because I'm not all that good, but here it is!<strong>

"Jellicent, Water Pulse!" Chandelure, Will-O-Wisp!" Trip commanded quickly, hoping to get the edge. The pair floated higher above the field, the chandelier firing several blue flames towards the green serpent as the jellyfish fired a blue pulsing sphere of water at the flaming pokemon.

"Emboar, Flamethrower." Ash said calmly, smirking. The flaming pokemon stepped forward, drawing a breath and releasing a powerful stream of flames at the oncoming attacks. As it collided with the flaming spheres, then disappeared as the flames grew bigger and burst straight through the sphere of water, closing in on the floating pair.

"Dodge it!" the two narrowly avoided the attacks. "Chandelure, Psychic on Emboar! Jellicent, Hydro Pump!" the fire-type's eyes glowed blue, the fighting-type became outlined in blue as it was brought to one knee. The water-type extended its arms out, firing a powerful stream of water towards the motionless pokemon.

"Serperior, spring through with Leaf Blade." the snake coiled up on the ground in front of Emboar, straightening its body and quickly springing into the air, pushing through the water with its tail's tip glowing green.

"Chandelure, Flame Burst!" the fire-type floated in front of its partner, firing a flaming sphere towards the oncoming snake. The snake gracefully spun in the air, avoiding the attack and quickly moving beneath the fire-type, swinging its tail up and bringing it down on the water-type. Serperior landed gracefully back on Ash's side, then it suddenly became outlined in an eery purple glow. Trip smirked.

"Not this again..." Ash muttered, frowning as he recalled the details of a jellicent's ability. "We can't use close-range attacks or the same thing will happen, and I can't use Leaf Blade until that pokemon's out..."

* * *

><p>"What just happened?" Dawn asked, looking oddly at the glowing serpent.<p>

"It's a jellicent's ability, Cursed Body." Cilan stated, frowning. The blunette looked curiously at him.

"If another physical attack comes in contact with it, there's a chance it may become disabled for a while." Iris explained, frowning as well. "In other words, Serperior can't use Leaf Blade until Jellicent is defeated."

* * *

><p>"Chandelure, Flame Burst!" the sphere of flames moved quickly towards the serpent and fighting-type below.<p>

"Emboar, block it." the fire-type stepped in front of the serpent, crossing its arms as the flames exploded on the pokemon, releasing smaller flames around the area as Emboar smirked. "Flamethrower."

"Counter that, Chandelure!" the two flames collided, fighting for dominance. "They're even..."

"Emboar, into the flames." a few gasps from the crowd were heard as the fighting-type dived into the flames, seemingly climbing the air as it advanced towards Trip's pokemon. "Flare Blitz." the flames suddenly turned blue as Emboar climbed faster, the flames now surrounding it in a barrier as it crashed into Trip's fire-type. "Serperior, spring in and use Leaf Storm." quickly springing into the air, Serperior floated above the fire-types and released a vortex of leaves down on Chandelure, sending it towards the ground.

"Jellicent, Hydro Pump!" the water-type took the opportunity to surprise Emboar, but Serperior was ahead of that and blocked it by spinning its tail.

"Emboar, finish Chandelure off." the fire-type smirked, letting itself fall as its body turned over, diving head-first towards the weak pokemon.

"What is he...?" Trip thought for a moment, then remembered an important fact about an emboar. A very dangerous move to be hit with. "No! Chandelure, you have to move!"

"Head Smash," the fire-type began to glow blue, its head glowing brighter than its body as it dived towards its opponent. Closing its eyes, it felt itself smash the pokemon into the ground as large amounts of debris were shot everywhere, the crowd covering their heads and eyes from being hurt.

"Chandelure!" Trip shouted, watching in disbelief as the dangerous move hit his pokemon. As the dust slowly settled, the figure of Emboar was made out moving back to Ash's side, moving out of the smoke revealing it to be panting. After the dust slowly settled, Chandelure was pushed into the ground.

"Chandelure is unable to battle!" the ref raised his flag, Trip recalled his pokemon.

"Thank you for your help." clipping another from his belt, he looked carefully at his opponents. Emboar was panting lightly, but Serperior still looked graceful as it had not taken damage. "Let's go, Unfezant!" tossing his pokeball, the burst of light revealed a grey bird similar to Ash's from earlier in the competition, but this bird had a red crest on its head.

"...Advantage over both Emboar and Serperior, but..." Ash said to himself, smirking. "...It's male..."

"Unfezant, Aerial Ace on Serperior!" the bird circled in the air, drawing close to the ground as it pulled up at the last second, heading for the serpent at a high speed.

"Serperior, stay close to the ground. Emboar, Hammer Arm." the snake lied flat on the ground, the fire-type bringing its arms up. As the bird drew closer, it struck its arms into the ground, sending chunks of dirt and debris into the air.

"Jellicent, Hydro Pump!" the water-type fired a powerful stream of water, the fire-type watched in surprise as it drew closer.

"Serperior, block it." the snake jumped into the air, blocking the water with its tail. However, forgetting about the bird, Unfezant had the chance to quickly strike into the snake's side. It called in pain from the surprise super-effective attack, landing with a glare towards the bird. "So that's what he was up to...Using a trick, he knew I would bring Serperior out..." Ash smirked to himself, shaking his head in amusement. "...He's changed..."

"Unfezant, Quick Attack!" followed by a trail of white, the bird quickly darted around in the air, Ash's pokemon watching its movements intently.

"He's getting our attention..." Ash muttered, watching the bird. Breaking his concentration, he noticed the water-type floating along the ground towards them. "...While Jellicent moves in. Serperior, Leaf Storm." the snake broke from its gaze, noticing the water-type close to them and released a storm of leaves, striking the water-type. "Emboar, Flamethrower." the fire-type attacked the jellyfish, the crowd feeling the heat.

"So he saw it...Unfezant, Air Cutter!" the bird released several small blades of air, striking the ground around Ash's pokemon, releasing a small layer of dust.

"Emboar, guards up. Serperior, spin and Leaf Storm." the fire-type brought its arms up, shielding itself as the snake circled its body on the ground, releasing tornado of leaves. Mixed with the spinning, the leaves moved in every direction and cleared the dust away, revealing Trip's pokemon closing in. " Emboar, Flamethrower. Serperior, Vine Whip." the fire-type released a pwoerful flame towards the oncoming pokemon, Serperior releasing two long vines into the air above. The bird quickly climbed to dodge the flames, surprised as the vines moved quickly around it, tightly holding its wings together for no escape.

"Jellicent, help Unfezant!" Trip shouted, the water-type floating towards the snake.

"Emboar, Flamethrower." the water-type dodged the flames, looking down at the smirking fire-type. "Keep Jellicent at a distance."

"What is he planning...?" Trip muttered, looking oddly at Ash. Suddenly, the memories of their old battles filled his mind. "Wait, if that's his snivy...!" his eyes widened, looking at the snake. "...Then it's female!"

"I hope you remember this, Trip...Serperior, Attract." the snake winked, releasing several pink hearts towards the restrained bird. It watched in fear as the hearts circled in the air around it, struggling to break free to no avail. The hearts came in contact with the bird all at once, it glowing a pink before its eyes blanked, becoming hearts as it looked at the serpent.

"No, Unfezant!" Trip shouted, recalling his rival's snivy's signature move.

"Bring it down," Ash commanded, the snake drawing its vines down, the bird crashing into the ground. "Leaf Storm from above." the snake sprung into the air, releasing hundreds of sharp leaves down on the defenseless flying-type.

"Jellicent, Shadow Ball!" the purple sphere targeted Serperior, but was burst by a stream of flames courtesy of the still-defending Emboar.

"Emboar, Serperior, switch places." the two quickly switched, Emboar standing over the bird as Serperior grinned at the water-type. "Serperior, Leaf Storm." the water-type was hit by the fast attack, being send back to its side of the field. "Emboar, finish it off with Hammer Arm." the fighting-type brought its arms up, swinging them down on the bird's back, who was still staring at Serperior, sending debris up as its body was pushed into the ground. Emboar moved away, smirking with a nod.

"Unfezant is unable to battle!" the ref raised his flag again, Trip recalling his second defeated pokemon.

"Thank you," he muttered, frowning as he looked at Ash's grinning pokemon. "A fire-type and grass-type watching each others backs, they're a strong pair..."

* * *

><p>"Trip only has four pokemon now, while Shadow still has all six!" Max exclaimed.<p>

"But look at Emboar," Max followed Brock's advice, looking at the fire-type. On close inspection, the pokemon was panting nearly unnoticeable. "Using Head Smash, it took a lot of energy. For it to be standing, Shadow must have trained it extremely well." the breeder remarked, crossing his arms.

"Of course he did! It's Shadow!" Dawn exclaimed happily, clapping her hands together. "Go Shadow!"

* * *

><p>"Of course..." Ash sighed, hearing the blunette's cheering. The two battlers and the ref sweat-dropped, chuckling to themselves nervously. "Anyway...Moving on..."<p>

"I need your help, Conkeldurr!" the sphere opened and the blue light crashed onto the field, forming a large figure with two concrete pillars in its hands.

"I remember that won't go down easily..." Ash muttered, looking carefully at the new fighting-type. Looking at his own fighters, he noticed them look back at him with a nod. However, Ash easily noticed his fire-type panting. "...Sorry about this, Emboar, but each of us know that Conkeldurr is tough." his pokemon nodded, Emboar with a frown. Ash nodded, lifting his pokeball and recalling the fighting-type in the red light. "All right, Serperior, we're going to focus on Jellicent first." the snake nodded, turning back to the opponents as Ash gripped another pokeball.

* * *

><p>"Why did Shadow change pokemon?" Misty gasped, watching in surprise as his fire-type disappeared in a red light.<p>

"It was clearly tired, Misty. He didn't want it to get hurt anymore," Iris stated, crossing her arms with a smile. "Even though he's a personal guy, you can tell he still really cares for his pokemon."

"You got that right," Max nodded, watching Ash curiously as he held another pokeball. "But who's next, I wonder...?"

"From that group of pokemon down by the lake, we can't tell. It could be nearly anything, like a perfect mystery soup." Cilan stated, Iris giving a sigh.

"Any ideas, you three?" Max asked, looking at Hilda, Hilbert and Zo.

"Not really, even I don't understand him sometimes." Hilda shrugged, arms crossed with a smirk.

"He can choose an advantage, a disadvantage, he never lets anyone know how he battles." Zo added, smirking as well.

"But, there are a few that have a more likely chance than others." everyone looked at the young man with his arms behind his head, smirking. "After all, he does have quite a few promises to keep..."

* * *

><p>"Conkeldurr, you have to keep your guard up at all times. His pokemon move in sync, so never take your eyes off of them." the fighting-type nodded to him, pounding his pillars onto the ground with Jellicent floating beside it, nodding with scratches on its body. Ash looked down at the pokeball in his hand, giving a smile.<p>

"...It's been a while, and a promise is a promise..." Ash said, looking at his opponents with determination in his eyes. "I choose you!" he tossed the pokeball, everyone's eyes following it closely into the air. As it opened, the burst of blue light descended towards the ground, then stopped a few feet above the surface. Taking a small form, everyone but Ash, Hilda, Hilbert and Zo looked oddly at the pokemon.

* * *

><p>"A...rotom...?" Iris asked, looking strangely at the electric-type who floated happily in the air with a smile.<p>

"That's the one that zapped me!" Leaf exclaimed, feeling a shiver down her back as she pointed at the floating pokemon.

"Alright, you three, what's the story?" Misty asked, looking at the smiling trio.

"Why think there's a story?" Hilda asked.

"There is no way _Shadow_ would send out a small pokemon like that in a battle like this, unless he knows nothing about Trip, which we know he _does._" May told them, crossing her arms with an arched eyebrow.

"No secrets, you'll have to watch and see." Zo told them, laughing quietly to herself along with Hilda and Hilbert.

"Shadow would kill us if we told anyone his secrets," Hilda said innocently, looking away with a suspicious whistle.

"I guess that is Shadow..." Brock agreed, giving a nod. "But you have to admit, it's a real question with him sending a small pokemon..."

"What's wrong with a small pokemon?" Zo asked, feeling offended. "You got a problem with them?"

"No, it's just a wonder. I know completely that small pokemon cannot be underestimated," Brock told her, giving an odd look. "What's your case with small pokemon?" Cringing, Zo felt and saw more odd looks from others.

"Well...Yeah, that's it! Cute pokemon are adorable, but they're extremely tough as well!" Zo laughed nervously, holding her hands behind her head.

"Hey, that's my thing," Hilbert told her, frowning. Zo looked at him, smiling innocently. "...Anyway, you can ask us all you want, but never let Shadow hear you question his methods."

"Why?" Misty asked, her head cocked in confusion.

"Well...You know how he is..." Hilbert laughed nervously, Hilda and Zo laughed quietly together.

"I would definitely say to not underestimate that pokemon," May cringed, everyone looked curiously as they saw a boy approach them, smiling. "Hey, May."

"Brendan?" Max asked, surprised to see the boy.

"Brendan!" Dawn exclaimed, smiling to the boy.

"Huh? You three know him?" Misty asked, looking at them. Dawn smiled slyly, looking at May who noticed her look, avoiding eye contact with anyone as her cheeks turned pink with a frown.

"Of course we do," Dawn said politely, watching the brunette closely.

"I overheard your discussion about that rotom, and I couldn't help but join in," Brendan told them, smiling. "I would suggest to not underestimate it, seeing as how it's one of his pokemon."

"You got that right!" Zo added, smiling to him with a nod. Hilda and Hilbert nodded silently.

"Just watch, you'll definitely be surprised." Hilbert told them, smiling as he looked back at the field. However, everyone but Hilda, Zo and Hilbert were still looking at Brendan curiously.

"So...Introductions?"

* * *

><p>"A rotom...?" Trip asked, confused as the small pokemon floated around in the air. "...Well, a pokemon is a pokemon, especially one of his." Trip nodded to himself, shaking his thoughts of underestimating it. "We can't afford another loss, not to him. Jellicent, Ominous Wind!" waving its arms, a sudden gust of purple air came from behind it heading towards the opposing duo.<p>

"Rotom, counter that." the small ghost-type raised its bolt-like arms in the air, releasing a purple gust of wind against the opposing force. As the two winds met in the middle, Rotom's surprisingly pushed through, Jellicent struggling to hold its balance as Conkeldurr guarded itself with its pillars. "Now, consecutive Shadow Balls." surprised, everyone watched as several purple spheres of energy formed around it all at once, launching down the field towards its opponents.

"Conkeldurr, Stone Edge defense!" the fighting-type brought its hands together, several small stones forming around it in the air, launching towards the oncoming attack. Amazingly seen by everyone, the spheres moved in the air, avoiding each stone and continuing on its path. Ash smirked, shaking his head in amusement as he heard Rotom laughing in its high-pitched voice. "Jellicent, Hydro Pump!" the water-type attack missed, the several spheres colliding with it and blinding it in a thin layer of smoke. "Jellicent!"

"Serperior, strike now." Trip gasped, noticing the snake had moved down the field as he focused on the Shadow Balls, now closing in on his pokemon. "Leaf Storm." springing in the air, the vortex of leaves pushed Jellicent out of the air into the ground, feeling weaker by the second as leaf-after-leaf struck its body. Weakly managing to float up again, it glared at the serpent as it stumbled. "Rotom, finish with Electro Ball." at an amazing speed, even for a ghost-type, Rotom appeared on the other side of the field over Jellicent, forming a sphere of electricity in front of it. It threw it down, colliding with the water-type as it cried in pain from the powerful electric blast. As the electricity ceased, Jellicent immediately fell to the ground, unconscious with sparks visibly coursing through it.

"Jellicent is unable to battle!" the ref raised his flag, the crowd watched in astonishment as the electric-type returned to its side of the field along with the serpent. Trip recalled his pokemon, eyes wide as it looked at the small laughing ghost-type.

"That pokemon...It's unbelievable...!" he muttered, shocked.

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Max exclaimed, eyes wide as he watched the events play through in a few moments. "That...was...<em>awesome<em>!"

"I take back everything, that rotom is amazing!" Iris exclaimed, clasping her hands together.

"I can't believe it, though...How can it be so fast? And that Electro Ball instantly defeated Jellicent, how did that happen?" Misty asked, jaw slightly agape.

"You answered yourself," she looked oddly at Hilda. "Electro Ball is a move that's powered by speed, so it becomes a lot more powerful if the user is faster than its opponent. With Rotom's speed, Jellicent wouldn't have been able to survive even with full health." she explained, smirking.

"So...It's _that_ fast...?" May asked, surprised.

"Rotom is, without a doubt, Shadow's fastest pokemon." Hilbert stated, a few noticing Zo give him an angry glare. "He does have a lot of fast pokemon, and some of them do challenge Rotom, but they can't win."

"Oh, I bet he has _another_ pokemon that's just as fast." Zo said, emphasizing her point. Hilbert looked oddly at her, then remembered.

"Oh! ...Well, yeah, he has a lot of fast pokemon and I'm sure there is another that's at about equal speed." Zo nodded, smiling as she looked back at the field. Hilbert looked at the others, shaking his head while bringing his hand across his throat.

* * *

><p>"Vanilluxe, I need your help!" with a burst of blue light, a floating figure resembling two ice cream cones appeared.<p>

"Vanilluxe and Conkeldurr...I remember them, and Vanilluxe has counter-strategies when in battle..." Ash muttered, recalling the past for advice. "...Conkeldurr is hard to get close to with Stone Edge, but Rotom's Shadow Ball can go through...So no doubt Rotom can..."

"Vanilluxe, Ice Beam!" the two heads formed a blue sphere, turning into a beam of ice as it targeted Serperior.

"Serperior, dodge it." the snake quickly moved along the ground, avoiding the attack and advancing on the opposing pair.

"Vanilluxe, Ice Beam on the entire field." the ice-type spun in the air, sending the icy attack across each inch of the field, soon covering it in a layer of ice.

"Ah, so that's it..." Ash muttered, smirking as he noticed his snake sliding helplessly towards Conkeldurr.

"Focus Punch!" the fighting-type put its pillars aside, bringing back its fist as it glowed a brilliant red.

"Serperior, block with Leaf Blade," the snake brought its tail up, then down and countering the fist. "Vine Whip," the snake lashed on the fighting-type's head, eventually grunting as it felt the whips hit its face and pulling back from its assault.

"Vanilluxe, Icicle Spear!" several icicles formed in the air, dropping towards the serpent. The snake pushed off Conkeldurr's pillar, sliding back to its side as the icicles struck the ground behind it.

"Serperior, slide straight across again," the snake nodded, sliding across the field a little over from the path of icicles from earlier.

"Icicle Spear, strike ahead of it!" Trip commanded, smirking. The icicles dropped on the field ahead of the snake's path, but its snake-like body allowed it to move flexibly and avoid each pillar. "Again!" the icicles dropped ahead of it, but one headed straight down for the snake. Surprised, Trip watched the snake form a circle with its body, the pillar landing inside it. Serperior pushed off the pillar, smiling as it stopped back by Ash's side.

"That should help you a little, Serperior," the snake nodded, Ash smiled. "Alright, Rotom, Shadow Ball. Serperior, close in." the ghost-type launched the multiple spheres towards the opponents, moving between the pillars of ice and advancing as the snake maneuvered through the pillars with its tail.

"Vanilluxe, Blizzard!" the ice-type released a large gust of chilled wind, freezing the spheres in mid-air, dropping on the field harmlessly. "Blizzard on Serperior!"

"Rotom, Ominous Wind," the ghost-type quickly appeared across the field, countering the chilled wind with a purple gust. "Electro Ball." the sphere of electricity struck the ice-type, coursing through its body as it cried in pain. Catching itself before hitting the ground, it managed to stay in the air with electricity visibly coursing its body.

* * *

><p>"How did it survive?" Max asked, watching in surprise as the ice-type caught itself.<p>

"That vanilluxe must have speed it's not using..." Brendan stated, looking closely at the ice-type.

* * *

><p>"Vanilluxe, Icicle Spear!" the ice-type released a wave of icicles, crashing into the field as Serperior dodged them, giving it a wider range of field to use.<p>

"Serperior, retreat. Rotom, Discharge." the snake heard the command, quickly moving back to their side of the field, knowing what would come next. Rotom floated between Trip's pokemon, releasing a powerful electric blast in every direction, sparks flying through the air. Vanilluxe struggled to evade, but its efforts were proved fruitless as it was struck by many powerful jolts. Conkeldurr brought its pillars in front of it for defense, but sparks hit the ground around it as well, sending shocks up its legs, bringing it to one knee. "Shadow Ball." Conkeldurr grunted as the several purple spheres struck the ground around it, some grazing its body. "Now, finish it with Electro Ball."

"Conkeldurr, Stone Edge! Vanilluxe, Blizzard!" the two formed their attacks, targeting the small electric-type. Rotom looked back and forth with a smile, laughing in its electrical voice as it saw them getting closer to attacking.

"Rotom, you and your tricks..." Ash said amusingly, shaking his head with a smile, chuckling. Serperior nodded, smiling as she laughed with her trainer.

"Why isn't it doing anything...? Does it want to be beat...?" Trip asked, confused as the electric-type remained still. Looking at the small pokemon, then his own individually, he realized. Eyes widened, he noticed exactly where the pokemon was. Between his. "No! Both of you, stop your attacks!" but it was too late, the pair fired their attacks. Rotom laughed, quickly disappearing from its spot and returning to Ash's side. Trip watched in shock as his two pokemon attacked each other, Conkeldurr grunting at the frozen wind and Vanilluxe dodging the stones, being hit by most.

"Good job, Rotom." the pokemon laughed, Ash nodding with a smile. "All right, let's finish these two off."

"The rotom is the problem, but we can preventing Serperior getting near. Conkeldurr, Focus Punch on the ground." the fighting-type brought its fist up, pounding it into the ground. The shock shook the ground, Serperior stumbling on the ice as the ground shook beneath it. As if glass, the ice pillars scattered around the field were instantly shattered, falling to the ground in small chunks. However, several cracks were heard as everyone watched the layer of ice on the field crack all over.

"Hey, thanks, Trip." Ash called, smiling. "Serperior, let's play with them for a bit." the snake nodded, moving to the side of the field. Sliding across, it swung its tail on the remains of the ice pillars, sending the chunks flying towards the opponents.

"Defend!" Vanilluxe avoided each of them in the air, while Conkeldurr used its pillars as a shield. However, Rotom suddenly appeared beside them unnoticed.

"Rotom, double Electro Ball." Ash commanded calmly, smirking. Rotom fired an electric sphere at both pokemon, electricity coursing through them as they grunted from the pain. Vanilluxe fell to the ground, while Conkeldurr fell to its knees, then its chest.

"Vanilluxe and Conkeldurr are unable-" surprised, the ref stopped his call as the fighting-type's palm pounded onto the ground, weakly pushing itself up. "Ah...Vanilluxe is unable to battle!"

"Conkeldurr's still up...Even with Rotom's offense, I'm amazed at its defense..." Ash muttered, shaking his head as he looked at the fighting-type. Confused, he watched several sharp stones form around it without a command, launching them forward. Rotom continued laughing, dodging each stone easily as the barrage continued. Conkeldurr formed one last stone in its palm, throwing it into the air at the electric-type at a great speed. Rotom laughed, then stopped as it was surprised to see one rock moving faster than the rest, heading straight for it. The rock struck its chest, sending it back in the air. The electric-type stumbled, barely catching itself before falling. Across the field, Conkeldurr frowned as it watched the electric-type return into the air, before falling on its chest again.

* * *

><p>"That was...Odd..." Max said, unsure why that happened.<p>

"Conkeldurr wanted to take out at least one pokemon, obviously." May told him, punching the square-top of his head.

"They never change..." Brendan remarked, amused as he watched the siblings begin to fight.

* * *

><p>"Vanilluxe, return." Trip called his ice-type back, taking another pokeball as he gritted his teeth, tightening his grip on the sphere. "This is it...Five down, left with one..."<p>

"Almost done, you two." Serperior and Rotom nodded, watching carefully as Trip gripped his last pokemon. "And there's no doubt who it is..."

"This is it, old friend!" Trip tossed his pokeball, the burst of light hitting the field. Taking form, the crowd looked excitedly as the figure was almost a copy of Ash's serpent.

"Reliving the past, huh, Serperior?" the snake looked back at him with a nod, grinning as it stared down the opposing snake.

"Serperior, Leaf Tornado!" the snake spun its body, releasing a whirlwind of leaves towards them.

"Serperior, counter with Leaf Storm." the female snake released her vortex of leaves, the two different-looking attacks colliding. "Close in with Leaf Blade."

"Leaf Blade!" the two snakes moved down the field quickly, springing into the air as their tails collided, their faces close together as they grinned, pushing for dominance. Trip's snake looked closely at Ash's, then its eyes slightly widened as it recognized her. She nodded, giving full power as she overpowered him, forcing him to the ground. "Iron Tail!"

"Rotom, Discharge." the small pokemon darted closer, releasing a spray of electricity. Serperior however knowing the power of electricity, struck its tail into the ground just before the electricity hit its body, the pain being lessened. "Oh, you're still using that, I see..."

"Leaf Tornado!" the electric-type laughed, quickly disappearing and re-appearing behind it as the leaves were released.

"Shadow Ball," Serperior grunted as the several electric spheres struck its back, looking back angrily at the electric-type, who had moved behind it again. "Electro Ball," Serperior grunted again, feeling itself hit as it sharply spun around.

"Serperior, Leaf Tornado, in a vacuum!" Trip shouted, confusing a few spectators.

"Vacuum, huh?" Ash asked, watching amused as Serperior moved in a circle on the ground, gaining speed quickly. In an instant, Leaf Tornado was released from the center of its circle, spreading in every direction around it. The electric-type was surprised as the attack came so suddenly from nothing, hitting it. Rotom floated back towards Ash, laughing weakly. "Your laugh is weak, that's not good." Rotom suddenly stopped, falling to the ground with its eyes replaced by swirls.

"Rotom is unable to battle!" the ref announced, a few people in the crowd whispering to each other as Ash loses a pokemon. Ash recalled the pokemon, shaking his head in amusement as he smiled.

"I see you still haven't worked on that..."

* * *

><p>"Should have known," Hilda said, sweat-dropping with a quiet laugh.<p>

"Saw that coming," Zo added, laughing as well.

"Things never change," Hilbert laughed along with the two. Everyone looked at them oddly, Hilbert noticing. "Oh, right. You see, Rotom excelled with speed and power, but its defenses are terrible."

"What?" Max asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, it's defense levels are horrible, it can barely take a few attacks." Hilbert chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "That's Rotom for ya."

"So, who's he sending out next?" Misty asked, watching Ash curiously as he returned Rotom's pokeball, pulling another.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Serperior. You've gotten plenty of revenge in the past, have a rest." Serperior frowned, then nodded as it let itself disappear in the red light. He returned her pokeball, smirking to himself. Trip, the ref, Ash's friends, everyone in the area watched in anticipation for Ash to pull his next pokemon out. But he didn't move.<p>

* * *

><p>"What's with Shadow?" Iris asked, looking oddly at the motionless trainer.<p>

"Why isn't he calling another pokemon? Is he seriously forfeiting after all of that?" Max asked, feeling another punch to his head.

"No way Shadow would ever forfeit!" May told him, glaring at the boy. Brendan smiled nervously, thinking along the line of 'never changing'.

"So why doesn't he pull another pokeball, then?" Brock asked, equally as confused as the others.

"Zo, Hilbert..." Hilda looked at Zo and Hilbert, who were grinning to each other. "...You don't think he's..."

"There's no doubt about it," Zo told her, her grin looking suspicious.

"I guess that's just like him...Wanting to make a grand finale..." Hilda stated, shaking her head with a smile.

"What are you talking about?" Max asked, looking oddly at the trio.

"His last pokemon," Zo told them.

"You know what it is?" Dawn asked, her eyes gleaming. The trio nodded, grinning.

"This guy likes to relive the past...Grand finale time..."

* * *

><p>"This is it...Our last battle of peace..." Ash said to himself, smirking. He looked down with his eyes closed. "...It's time..."<p>

"What's he doing...?" Trip asked himself, looking strangely at Ash across the field. The ref waited patiently for him to call his next pokemon, Serperior's expression the same as Trip with caution. Ash suddenly looked up, his smirk expanded into a grin.

"Pikachu, I choose you."

Surprised, everyone watched his backpack suddenly open and a small figure jump out, moving quickly to the field on all fours, its cheeks sparking.

* * *

><p>"A pikachu!" Max exclaimed, watching in surprise as the pokemon appeared.<p>

"But why wasn't it in a pokeball?" Brock asked, looking at the trio.

"Ah, well...That one has a disagreement with them..." Hilbert said nervously, praying they wouldn't press the issue. Brock thought for a moment, then nodded.

"So Shadow's last pokemon is a pikachu?" Misty asked, looking at them. "That's his secret weapon?"

"Don't forget this is Shadow, Misty," May told her. "We can't underestimate anything of his, I mean, just look at Rotom."

"Well, I guess so." she conceded, giving a smile. "You really are quick on defending him." the brunette quickly turned away, her cheeks heating up.

"...He's obviously a strong trainer..." she replied, crossing her arms behind her head.

"Why is everyone copying me?"

* * *

><p>"Pikachu?" Trip asked, surprised. Memories passed through his mind of Ash's electric mouse, the mouse's powerful attacks and speed. Serperior looked closely at the mouse and glared, bearing its teeth as it recognized the mouse. "...Double battles and a single battle, he wanted the battle to go faster...So we can get to the main event..." Trip grinned, looking at the mouse sparking. "Serperior, don't let the past cloud your battling." Serperior nodded, itching for battling the pokemon it had been defeated by many years ago.<p>

"Let's do this, Pi." the mouse nodded, uplifting the corner of its mouth with a grin, bearing a few teeth.

"This time, we're going to win!" Trip called to his old rival, grinning. "Serperior, Leaf Tornado!" the snake spun its body, releasing a tornado of leaves towards the mouse.

"Pikachu, turn that around." the mouse quickly darted towards the leaves, jumping into the air and heading straight for the attack. The crowd gasped as the mouse disappeared inside the leaves, the mouse biting its lip as it looked around. Noticing the leaves direction, it spun its body the opposite direction, ignoring the leaves scratching against it. After a few moments, the pain lessened as the leaves turning speed reduced, beginning the other direction. "Give it a power boost." Pikachu released powerful sparks from its cheeks, the electricity fusing with the leaves around it as they began spinning faster, now heading in the opposite direction, back towards Serperior. Forcing more electricity into its and quickening his body rotation, Pikachu got the leaves moving a lot faster, catching the serpent by surprise as they enveloped it.

"Serperior!" Trip watched in disbelief as his own attack enveloped his pokemon, disappearing. Inside, the snake bared its teeth as it felt the electricity shocking it, glaring at the mouse grinning at him a few feet away. "Leaf Blade!"

"Iron Tail," the mouse's tail flashed silver, striking it down and colliding with Serperior's green-glowing tail.

"Vine Whip!" quickly retracting, the mouse felt two vines wrap tightly around its body. "Leaf Blade again!" watching the serpent's tail glow again, the mouse smirked as the tail suddenly moved towards it.

"Thunderbolt," Pikachu's cheeks sparked, the serpent's eyes widening as it knew what was going to happen. It shouted in pain as thousands of volts struck its body, spreading through its nerves. The vines loosened on the mouse. "Iron Tail," the mouse swung its head down, striking Serperior's back and slamming it into the ground. The leaves around them cut off, falling to the ground and letting everyone see again. The mouse stood in front of the snake, who's head was low and bearing its teeth angrily at Pikachu.

"Serperior, throw it!" the mouse felt itself thrown into the air by the vines, watching the field grow smaller as it ascended.

"So he wants a replay from the past...Alright, Pikachu, Quick Attack downward." the mouse flipped over, falling towards the ground at an incredible speed followed by a streak of white.

"Leaf Tornado!" the serpent released a whirlwind of leaves upward, the mouse heading straight for it.

"Pikachu, Electro Ball with Iron Tail," a sphere of electricity formed on the end of the mouse's tail, then the tail glowed silver. Pikachu swung its body around, batting the sphere downward at a powerful speed with force. Surprised, Trip and Serperior watched the sphere go straight through the grass attack's center and collide with the serpent, causing pain in its chest as it was sent to the ground. "Iron Tail again."

"Serperior, counter that!" the snake got up, its tail glowing silver as it sprung into the air, the mouse swinging its tail down and colliding with the serpent's.

"Paralyze it," Ash said, the mouse's cheeks sparking.

"Grab it!" expecting vines to envelope it, Pikachu was surprised to feel the snake wrap its own body around it. The snake grinned as it felt sparks enter its body from the mouse's cheeks, then threw its opponent downward. "Leaf Tornado, followed by Iron Tail and Leaf Blade!"

"So he wants to switch it around..." Ash remarked, smirking as he watched his mouse now on the bottom and the serpent on top. Pikachu felt the leaves surround it, scratching against his sides and back as he barely was able to regain stability to land, safely touching down on all fours. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt." the mouse released a powerful bolt of electricity into the air, the snake feeling it course into its body. It grunted, ignoring the pain as it continued down towards the mouse.

"Do it, Serperior!" Trip shouted, the serpent's tail glowed silver, then a deep green. It straightened its body, gaining speed.

"Pikachu, fuse Electro Ball with Iron Tail," Ash commanded, smirking. The mouse formed a sphere of electricity, holding it on the ground as its tail flashed silver. Pressing its tail down on the sphere into the ground, everyone watched in amazement as the sphere suddenly disappeared, the mouse's tail glowing a brilliant silver with a golden tinge to it as well as sparks.

"Serperior, we're not losing again! Let's beat them this time!" Trip shouted, grinning as he watched the serpent close in the mouse.

"This is it, Pi! Let's make it two in a row!" Ash shouted, grinning as well.

"_SERR!_" the serpent shouted, swinging its tail overhead as the mouse was a few feet below.

"_PIKAA!_" the mouse shouted, baring its teeth as it spun its body, swinging its tail and violently crashing against Serperior's. The pokemon's faces came close together, both bearing their teeth and a fiery passion in their eyes. Neither letting up, they put in every ounce of strength as sparks flew, their determination scaring a few spectators. The two fought, second after second, until the power in their tails could no longer take it. Imploding, the power suddenly cut off as it exploded, a large amount of smoke pouring across the field and into the crowd. As everyone coughed, they struggled to continue looking at the field, anticipating the winner of the brawl. As the smoke took minutes to lift, everyone waited impatiently, some calling out. After the smoke finally parted, the faint outlines of both pokemon were visible on their respective sides, standing. As it disappeared completely, both were seen with scratches on their body, panting with a grin.

"They're both standing..." Trip said, amazed.

"Not this time..." Ash said, crossing his arms with a smirk. "So it's still on..."

"One last attack!" Trip called, extending one arm forward.

"You're on." he called back, extending an arm as well.

"Iron Tail, both of you!"

"_Ser/Pi!_" the two shouted, darting down the field with their tails glowing a brilliant silver. They grinned, both jumping a few feet off the ground as they got close. Pikachu swinging its body left, Serperior swinging its body right, everyone watched the pokemon pass each other, landing safely on the ground again, skidding to a hault. Serperior with its neck down, Pikachu on his hind legs with his arms out, the two remained with their eyes closed as they waited.

"_So...Who won this time?_" Trip and Ash thought simultaneously, grinning.

* * *

><p>"Who won?" Max asked, his fists tightened in anticipation. "This is awesome!"<p>

"You're so right, I can't wait! Either of them could win!" Iris added, her eyes shining as she smiled and watched.

"First the mystery recipe of Shadow's last pokemon, now the mystery of who won between two powerful forces. It's simply astounding, this battle could go down in connossieur history as the greatest mystery meal fo all time!" Cilan stated happily, his eyes shining as he posed. Everyone looked expectantly at Iris, but she surprisingly continued to stare at the battlefield obliviously.

"Wow..." Misty blinked.

"Come on! Stop prolonging it!" Zo demanded, crossing her arms in a huff.

"Calm down, Zo, any second now." Hilda told her.

"You got that right," Hilbert nodded. "With those two powerful strikes, one of them is bound to fall."

"So...who is it?" May, Leaf and Dawn asked together, looking softly at the arms-crossed trainer on the field, eyes closed with a grin.

* * *

><p>"Serperior, are you okay?" Trip asked, but the serpent across the field didn't answer.<p>

"How about you, Pi?" Ash asked, but no response from his partner on Trip's side. After a few minutes, the pair grunted, losing balance and falling forward. Seeing this, the ref raised his flags.

"Both sides are-" everyone in the crowd gasped, hearing only a _single_ thud. Looking at the pokemon again, the ref was surprised to see Serperior lying on the field, eyes closed. The mouse was down, but the ref's eyes widened in shock.

Pikachu was looking at him with a grin, holding itself up with its arms!

"Serperior is unable to battle!" the ref raised his flag, the crowd bursting into applause. Trip's eyes widened in shock as the mouse looked at him with a grin, standing straight again. Trip moved across the field, crouching beside his serpent.

"Serperior, are you okay?" he asked, the serpent nodded despite the applause. Near him, Ash was crouched beside Pikachu, allowing the pokemon to crawl up his arm onto his shoulder. They moved towards the pair, all four of them giving friendly smiles.

"Good battle, Trip, as always." he held out his hand.

"...You, too... Ash." their hands met, shaking with smiles.

"_Ser/Pi._" Pikachu and Serperior nodded, shaking their paw and vine.

"I guess I really should go to Kanto, see what else is in the boonies." Trip smirked, Ash shook his head with a smile.

"You really should, it's great. Everyone will beat you." the two laughed, the pokemon smiling as they laughed with their trainers. Suddenly, the crowd began to quiet down. Looking over, the four noticed the ref with his flags up again. Ash took a breathe. "...This is it..."

"With Trip Urban of Unova's final pokemon defeated...The victor is Ash Ketchum, of Kanto!"

...

... ...

... ... ...

... ... ... ...

... ... ... ... ...

"...I better get out of here..." Ash said, the mouse nodding with a frown. Trip and Serperior watched the two leave the area, looking at each other with a smile and a shake of their heads. Moments passed of silence, minutes, it felt like time had abruptly stopped. Trip and Serperior looked around in confusion, then flinched as their eardrums felt like they nearly burst.

**"**_**WHAT!**_**'?'!"**

**END**

**At first, I was thinking of ending the chapter at "Pikachu, I choose you", but that would be a little cruel even for me. Ash beat Trip, they're friendly again, and now everyone knows.**

**What will the group do with knowing Ash is back?  
>What will Leaf, Hilda, Hilbert and Zo do?<br>What will Brendan do?  
>Will anyone get hurt?<br>What will the next battle match-ups be?**

**Give me your opinion, not sure if I made a good battle scene or not. Feedback is appreciated, I'm not sure how good of an author I am (My grades in language are okay, but I could be doing better).**

**R&R!**


	34. Chapter 34

**Sorry to keep you waiting, here it is. Their reaction. Enjoi.**

Hilda, Hilbert, Zo and Leaf glanced at each other individually. Hoping the other would speak, they continued to look. "Okay, I'll say it. How long do you think they're going to stay in there?" Zo asked, looking at the doorway between them. Hilbert and Hilda on one side, Zo and Leaf on the other.

"I don't know, but this is more than I expected, honestly." Hilbert stated, his hands behind his head as he looked at the door. "The battle was at ten, so it's been...What, three hours?"

"Four," Hilda corrected, the cap-wearing trainer rolling his eyes. "At this rate, I'm not sure they'll ever come out."

"I'm not even sure if they're _alive_ anymore," Zo added, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall. The others looked oddly at her. "What? Have you heard any noise at all?"

"Well, no..." Zo nodded.

"They might be dead," she stated.

"I doubt it, Zo. Besides, where's Ash?" Leaf asked, the others shaking their heads.

"I don't know, probably off hiding somewhere." Hilda shrugged, frowning. "Between these guys being possibly dead-"

"So you agree!" Zo exclaimed, pointing at her. The others sighed, shaking their heads.

"-And Ash hiding from them, I have no idea what to think of this situation." Hilda finished, giving a glare to the girl as she glanced away, smiling innocently. "What are you guys thinking?"

"These guys somehow climbed out the window, and if Ash moves a muscle, he's a dead man." Hilbert replied calmly, looking around at their surprised reactions. "What? Stuff happens."

"Not that kind of stuff!" Leaf told him, the man rolling his eyes.

"This is Ash we're talking about, the weirdest and most unbelievable stuff happens to him." he told them, they pondered for a moment.

"...You know...I guess you're right..." Leaf said, Hilda and Zo nodded.

"Exactly, now I don't know about you, but I doubt these guys are budging anytime soon. I'm looking for Ash," he turned, disappearing down the hallway.

"What do you think?" Leaf asked, looking at the other two. They shrugged.

"I think they're dead," Hilda and Leaf rolled their eyes, following Hilbert's trail. "What? Hey, don't leave me!" Zo hurried after them, the three filing into an elevator. As the doors closed slowly, Zo noticed two familiar figures pass by just before the crack disappeared.

"What?" Hilda asked, noticing the girl's surprised expression. She looked at her.

"That was Brendan and Paul."

* * *

><p>A man sat calmly in a cave, legs crossed as he relaxed with his hands in the air near his chest. His eyes closed, the quiet invaded his mind. His lips curled into a smile, enjoying the peace.<p>

"_Lade gerlade!_" he opened one eye, looking at the human-like figure standing a few feet from him in a defensive position.

"No sparring today, Gallade. Just relax, take a load off your mind." the pokemon frowned, looking oddly at its trainer. He closed his eye again. "There's nothing wrong with me, if that's what the look is for. Life is just something we take for granted, and I decided we should relax and enjoy it while we can."

"_Gerlade, lergade?_" the pokemon asked, crossing its arms.

"No, I am not _hiding_ from them." the pokemon watched him expectantly. "...Just re-assessing." the pokemon nodded, rolling its eyes again before leaning against the wall. "Besides, this could be considered training as well. Focusing the mind, you could learn a lot in foreseeing an attack with this."

"_Lade._" the pokemon conceded, sitting on the ground and copying the young man's position.

"There you go, buddy. Life isn't all about fighting and winning, especially since there's a million of you." Gallade and Pikachu looked at him, slightly irritated. Ash felt the negative vibe exuding from them, being so close. "...Although, I guess I couldn't understand, being human and all..."

"_Lade/Pi_." the pokemon nodded satisfyingly, closing their eyes again and relaxing. The trio sat in silence...That is, until another voice came in.

"I thought you might be here, I know these parts like the back of my hand." the voice stated, a figure appearing in the cave's entrance. Ash opened one eye, recognizing the large figure.

"Another errand from Hilbert, Marshal?"

* * *

><p>"Hiding from your old friends and a certain slow and painful death...I would find the most unbelievable, undetectable, and uncomfortable hiding place imaginable..."<p>

"You're not really helping, you know."

"I'm giving wise advice, I suggest you take it."

"Yeah, since you go through this all the time."

"Touche."

"Naturally," Hilda smiled, Hilbert rolling his eyes as he looked away. Zo and Leaf shook their heads in amusement as they looked around, then something dawned them.

"Hold on, this _is_ Ash." Hilda and Hilbert looked at Zo. "He thinks highly of himself. If we think he's at the lake, campsite or whatever, he'll have a plan for it."

"He probably set up his pokemon all over this area," Leaf added, giving a smile. "We find pokemon, we find Ash."

"But, he probably told them to keep anyone away." Hilda told them, they shrugged.

"We'll cross that when we come to it," they sighed, following Zo into the trees. They looked around, scanning intently. Moving near their campsite in the search, two froze with shivers up their spines.

"I can feel it..."

"Me, too...There's no doubt..."

"What are you talking about?" Leaf asked, Zo and Hilbert only pointed. Following their fingers through the trees, the two brunettes saw their campsite. Lying beside the tent, a large red lizard rested. "Oh..."

"I can't move, it will sense me." Hilbert whispered, terrified.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Zo whispered to them, slowly moving through the bushes.

"Are you sure? Ash probably told his pokemon not to give away his spot, what if it attacks us?" Hilda told the pair, but Zo smiled.

"You're forgetting I'm also a pokemon of Ash's, we have a connection." Zo, Hilda and Hilbert glanced at each other in doubt.  
>Moments later, Leaf and Hilda stood over her charred figure with Hilbert unmoved in the trees. "...Or maybe not..."<p>

"That didn't go well," Leaf stated uncertainly, glancing nervously at the red dragon. "...If Zo can't convince it, then there's no real hope, huh?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Hilda nodded, frowning. "We'll have to find another pokemon."

"Yeah!" Zo suddenly sprang up, surprising the pair.

* * *

><p>"Anyone home?" Brendan asked, knocking on the door another time. With no response, he frowned as he crossed his arms. "This could be a number of things...Silent treatment, they put themselves to sleep from yelling, or they could be gone..."<p>

"I'm not sure myself," the emotionless trainer replied, raising his fist. Tapping it on the door, he looked at the trainer beside him. "Silence isn't going to help this any, even Troublesome should know that." silence again.

"I'm starting to think they're not home," Brendan looked puzzled at the door. "I'm out of ideas."

"Same here, there's no doubt. If Troublesome were here, she would have come out to attack me from that statement." Paul told him, looked strangely at the door. "I'm looking around the battle areas."

"I'll check the mall," Brendan told him, the two giving a nod before moving down the hallway towards the elevator. The door closed, Brendan stood with his arms crossed and Paul's hands were in his pockets. "...I can't stand to see May like this..."

"Old fling, huh?" Brendan's face heated up, looking at him with wide eyes.

"W-What makes you t-think that!" he stammered, catching himself on the handrail. Paul smirked.

"That's even worse than Ketchum hiding his identity," he told him, smirking. Brendan looked away, focusing on the floor tile.

"So, what's your deal with Dawn, then? Why call her 'Troublesome'?" he asked.

"I call them as I see them," Paul shrugged, the boy giving a sigh. "Nothing is between us, if that's what you mean. Push it, my pokemon might have a toy to play with."

"Noted," Brendan gulped, the pair standing in silence once again as the electronic box moved downward.

* * *

><p>"So, you're the Ketchum kid that disappeared years ago," the man stated, sitting against the cave wall. Ash nodded, his eyes remaining closed. "Hilbert said you were a surprising person, but I never had imagined that."<p>

"It's understandable," Ash told him, the mouse and psychic-type nodding in agreement. "So, how did you find me here?"

"Hilbert said you had a sixth sense for finding secluded areas for training, so I started looking around my training spots in the area. Sure enough, I found you," he smirked, leaning his head against the wall. Ash smirked. "I never would have imagined you would find one of my favorite, though..."

"Favorite?" he asked, the man nodding.

"The cave is nothing more than a house. No furniture or painting, windows or doors, it's just a simple inhabitable location." Marshal explained, looking at Ash. "I would have expected pokemon training, but tie-chi is also a great way to train the mind, both humans and pokemon."

"Agreed," Ash nodded plainly, opening one eye and looking at him. "Where are the others? This isn't some sort of lure-him-out-and-bag-him plan, is it?"

"Nothing of the sort, I assure you." Ash nodded, accepting the man's words. "I noticed Hilbert and some others looking for you, one seemed to be complaining about a charizard."

"Was it Hilbert?"

"No, girl with red hair."

"Zo? Must have thought about her 'pokemon connections' again..."

"I assume you're hiding here, then," the psychic-type opened one eye, grinning as it looked at its trainer.

"It is _not_ hiding," the psychic-type shook its head slightly. "I am only re-assessing the situation. If they are worthy of being acquainted with me, they must work for and earn it. What better than find me in a secluded location with little chance of locating?" Ash asked.

"From Hilbert's stories, Ash would never say something so negatively about his friends." he cringed, mentally picturing himself beating on Hilbert.

"...Alright, fine. I'm hiding."

"Honesty is a start, now let's begin with getting out of this cave," Marshal stood, offering his hand to the young man.

"You want me out so you can train, don't you?" Ash asked, looking the man oddly in the eye.

"No," Ash shrugged, following him out of the cave. Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder with Gallade following beside, stepping into the light behind the large man. "Now, I suggest you go back to the central plaza."

"I don't doubt the advice of an Elite Four member, but...Why?" he asked carefully, pulling a pokeball from his belt. Tossing it, a large green dragon emerged and lowered its wings to the ground.

"You can't hide from reality, you must face your friends. Tears, pain, regret, everything happens in this world for a reason." Marshal told him, watching the trainer climb onto the dragon. "It's time for you to understand why the past and future connect."

"I guess," Ash shrugged, recalling Gallade. The dragon taking off and flying towards the central area. Marshal watched him, smirking.

"...Can't help but feel for the guy..."

* * *

><p>"Alright, we're back with nothing again," Brendan sighed, crossing his arms as he frowned, looking around with a puzzled expression. Paul nodded.<p>

"I'm out of ideas," he told him, the two giving sighs. "If we had one small lead, I could use Troublesome's mind to find them easily..."

"So you know her mind, huh?" Brendan asked innocently, glancing away with a smirk. Paul looked at him with no emotion, then something caught his eye.

"Seems Ash is out of hiding," Brendan looked strangely at him, following his finger towards the distance, where a small green figure was made in the sky.

"Ah," Brendan nodded, understanding. "...Hold on, do you think Nurse Joy would know where they are?" the two stared at each other. After a few minutes, they sighed as they smacked their own foreheads.

"Blonde moment..."

"_Troublesome_ moment..."

* * *

><p>"...Please don't be around..." Ash muttered, stepping through the trees. Looking around, he noticed no one familiar. Giving a relieving sigh, he moved through the doorway of the centre and noticed a familiar pair at the desk. "Hm?"<p>

"Oh, Shadow!" the pair looked around, noticing the trainer moving towards them. The nurse smiled. "But I guess there's no point using that name anymore, is there?"

"Not really," Ash shrugged, leaning backwards against the counter. "Paul, Brendan."

"Where you been hiding?" Brendan arched an eyebrow.

"Just a little place I found recently," Ash replied, closing his eyes.

"Your friends are gone, you should be proud of making them disappear," Paul told him.

"Since when do you care about my life?" Ash asked, smirking with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't, just advice." he replied calmly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Couldn't find them, but turns out they were just giving the silent treatment to anyone at their room door."

"Seems about right," Ash gave a nod, frowning. "Not responding to anyone?"

"Me, him," Paul referred to Brendan. "Pretty sure I saw your other four friends in the elevator earlier," Ash nodded as he understood. "I don't know, so far no one can get in. Not even a sound." Ash sighed, frowning as he lowered his head.

"...All 'cause of me..." he muttered, Paul and Brendan absentmindedly nodding. The nurse frowned, looking at Ash.

"I'm sure if you knock on their door, they will answer," Nurse Joy told him hopefully, giving a brief smile.

"With scowls, anger and weapons," Paul added, the trainer's head lowering further. The nurse frowned. "It's reality."

"I know, but...So blunt?" the trainer nodded plainly. "...That's no better..."

"Hey!" looking over at the door, they noticed the previous four walking in.

"How you holding up?" Hilda asked, the trainer giving a shrug.

"Can you please tell Charizard to be more friendly? Also Seismitoad?" Zo asked, frowning as she rubbed her backside. "Blasted into a tree."

"Your pokemon connections never work, face it," Ash told her.

"No way! They exist, and they will work!" Zo countered, glaring at him. Everyone heard multiple footsteps, some taking a few seconds while others immediately recognizing it. Everyone looking over, Ash shamefully, they noticed the group stopping at the end of the hallway in the room. Coincidentally, there was no one else in the lobby. Ash glanced around, noticing the people in the room seemingly circling around him.

"...Deja vu..."

Silence passed in seconds, minutes. It seemed to stretch on, the raven-haired trainer mentally cursing in Dialga's name. Nobody moved, their breathing barely audible. The group hadn't moved since they stopped, the others glanced at each other nervously, expecting some sort of western showdown or a tumbleweed to blow by. Surprisingly, nothing.

"...You hate me, I get-" Ash grunted, feeling himself immediately pushed to the ground. As he lie on the floor with his eyes closed, the figure remained on top of him.

"IloveyouIloveyou, I've always loved you!"

**END**

**You don't even need to say a name to know who it was.**


	35. Chapter 35

**April 1st...The day of idiots running around, pranking people...I'm having such a fun time. Tomorrow's a Monday, in my class at school, with a substitute teacher. I think it's safe to say...**

**Tomorrow will be, no doubt, the day my depression will skyrocket beyond ever before. I'm gonna snap.**

Silence. Silence. Silence. Why so much silence? Ash disappeared for five years, leaving his friends without a word. Now, he stood in front of them again with everyone knowing the truth. How would you react? Except, Ash isn't exactly standing. Lying on the floor, he could only rest his head on the floor as the figure hugged the life out of him.

"Can I get up, Dawn?" he asked, glancing down at the figure on him. She looked at him with a frown, her cheeks puffed out.

"No way!" she snapped, surprising the boy. "I love you, and there's no way I'm letting you go! Not after all this!"

"WHAT!"

"Say _what_ now?" Ash asked quizzically, his eyes widened as the girl only buried her face in his chest. "Just great...I wish I was back on our island..." he muttered, frowning. Surprised as a light burst from his belt, everyone watched as it took figure as a human-like creature.

"_Lade!_" its eyes glowed blue, the girl becoming outlined in blue.

"Hey!" the blunette shouted, feeling herself lifted into the air. Ash giving a sigh, he smiled weakly to the psychic-type.

"Thanks, Gallade." the pokemon nodded, crossing its arms but remaining on standby as the girl landed on the ground again. Ash looked back at the group, holding his hands out. "If you're going to hug me, at least don't knock me down." he told them. Few moments of silence.

"ASH!" he frowned, leaving his mental world of peace and quiet, feeling his chest quickly enveloped and crushed.

"Gah!" he grunted, feeling his airway nearly destroyed. The redhead on his left, the purple-haired girl on his right, and the blunette on his chest again, the three girls hugged him to death. "...I'm not going to make it...Tell my mom I love her..."

"Suck it up, baby." he glared at the innocently-smiling Zo, standing with her arms crossed.

"Alright, I think this is enough..." he told them, but they didn't let go. "Uh...Misty, Dawn, Iris? Come on, now..." he began breathing deeper, the three oblivious to the boy's health. "...Alright..._Really_ hard...To breathe...Now...!"

"Misty, Dawn, Iris," they mumbled something into his shirt, then reluctantly and hesitantly let him go. The boy breathing deeply, he regained the air lost in his moments of near-death experience.

"...Hah...Ah...Thank you..." he sighed, rubbing his gut. Brock only nodded. "...So..."

"He's terrible at this," Hilda whispered, the cap-wearing man nodding.

"Definitely," Hilbert whispered back.

"Alright...I suppose you'll want to know everything, then..." Ash trailed off, scratching the back of his head as he focused on a floor tile.

"Ash," cringing, he looked at May. She slowly stepped closer, staring at him. He felt uncomfortable, almost like watching Death himself move towards you.

"...Wait, I know that look..." his eyes widened, taking a step back from the girl. She moved forward swiftly, the boy wincing. Beyond surprisingly, or even the boy's thoughts, the brunette quickly embraced him. Looking shocked at the brunette's head on his shoulder, he slowly moved his arms around her back. "...I'm sorry..."

"Ash..." she mumbled, letting a tear fall onto his collar.

"At least I was wrong..." Ash muttered under his breath, feeling relieved.

"You weren't," his eyes widened, everyone watching in surprise at the brunette's actions. Ash stumbled back with a groan, removing May's forcefully-used fist from his stomach. Stepping towards him again, she brought her hand up. Backwards.

"Oh, this is _awesome_," Hilbert whispered, smirking as he watched the events play out. Hilda glanced at him, slightly shaking her head with a sigh. Zo nodded, watching intently.

_SLAP!_

"Arceus...!" he grunted, watching her hand move swiftly through the air facing backwards. At first, he felt nothing. Then the next instant, it was worse than Charizard's greeting. He groaned, moving his hand to his dangerously-burning cheek. The brunette frowned, crossing her arms.

"Now I'm done," she said plainly, moving back to the group. Ash stared at her in disbelief, watching the young boy step forward.

"_Please, don't be like-sister, like-brother..._" Ash thought with fear, noticing the boy's blank expression. As he stopped in front of him, silent. Suddenly, the boy had his arms around his back with his face in his chest, being shorter than the raven-haired trainer. "_...I guess this is okay..._"

"Ash..." the boy sobbed into his vest, tears absorbing into his vest. Ash frowned, returning the boy's hug.

"...Sorry, Max..." the boy pulled back, looking carefully at his face. Ash felt nervous as the boy's face neared his. "...What are you...doing...?"

"...You really have changed, Ash..." he didn't respond, not knowing exactly _how_ anyone would answer that. The boy returned to the group, Brock and Cilan stepping forward.

"_Killed like a man...Respectively, by a man..._" Ash thought to himself, frowning as he imagined the strength of two men. If three girls could nearly kill him...Ash wouldn't even know the men hugged him before he hit the ground. They two stood in front of him, then they put a hand on his shoulder. Cringing as a hand hit each shoulder, obviously a hold from no escape. No doubt.

"...Ash," the green-haired man hugged him, surprised again. Too many surprises for one day. "...It's good to have you back..."

"...Good to be back..." Ash muttered, putting an arm around the connoisseur with a smirk. The man pulled back, the spiky-haired man taking his place. When the two returned to the group, Ash stood nervously. His old friends, his relatively-new friends, the two groups stood a distance form each other. "...So...I guess you'll be wanting the full story, then..."

...

... ...

"_Duh,_" Zo stated, rolling her eyes with a sigh. After a few minutes of silence, everyone sat in the corner of the centre's lobby, everyone in chairs but Ash.

"Alright...Where to begin..." he muttered, scratching the back of his head as he looked away nervously.

"The beginning, Ash," cringing at the strict voice of the brunette, he nodded.

"Alright...Well...I won the Unova League, and we were all happy..." he trailed off, taking a deep breath. Letting it out, he put his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the wall.

"You won the Unova League, but you seemed depressed when you were at your victory party." Brock stated, frowning with his arms crossed.

"...It was what you told me, Brock. After you told me, I realized it was true. I beat Trip in the final round, I won the trophy because of it...But, your joke turned out to be my greatest revelation. I won with sheer luck."

"No you didn't! You won with strategy and dedication!" Iris told him, frowning. He shook his head.

"That is true, but that wasn't the major factor. Pikachu and Serperior were having a showdown of will, both weak but not willing to give up. Luck was the only reason Serperior fell when it did, Pikachu would have fallen any moment. For all we know, a split second was what let me win that battle."

"No way! It's because you trained and were determined to win!" Max told him, frowning. He shook his head again.

"Think about it. Pikachu is an electric mouse, Serperior is a grass snake. Pikachu is smaller than Serperior, so it weighs significantly less. That could very well be another possibility, Serperior only fell because it was more difficult to keep its body-weight up over Pikachu."

"That's not it! Trip didn't train as much as you!" Misty told him, frowning. He shook his head, giving an added sigh.

"Battling isn't only about will and spirit, it's about strategy and simple understanding of pokemon. If you understand a pokemon's abilities and strengths completely, then you can fully manipulate those advantages for yourself on the battlefield. Vice versa for opponents, you can use its weaknesses for your own uplifting."

"But you-" he held his hand up, cutting the blunette short.

"Stop interrupting. Look, I know it may seem completely stupid why I left for something so simple, but it's a complicated process of knowing what I was thinking. I didn't know completely what was in my head at the time, honestly, but I know it circled around these ideas for simple but underestimated reasons."

"But, Ash...You won..." he frowned, looking at the sad young boy. "...Why weren't you happy...?"

"...I'm sorry, Max, but it's a complicated process. To bring you entirely through it, I'm positive I would lose you in a matter of seconds." he responded, looking away. "...I caused you guys five years of pain, I know, but...I'm sorry..."

"...Ash...You don't have to be sorry," eyes slightly widened in amazement, he looked at the older men.

"He's right, Ash. There's no reason to be sorry," Brock told him, arms crossed with a smile.

"But...Five years, I made you guys worry..." he trailed off, his voice nearly cracking.

"That doesn't matter anymore. Past is past." the spiky-haired man stated, smiling.

"Put the past behind us and take life head-on, right?" he looked at May, who smiled gently back. He felt a tinge in his chest.

"...You guys..." he trailed off, his voice beginning to crack worse. "...I...I can't..."

"No worries, no apologies. Just one thing..." he looked expectantly at May, who's smile only grew warmer. "...Just bring Ash back."

"...I..." he couldn't speak, his voice feeling like it had left his body. Unable to speak, he only stood in shock and overcome with emotions.

"You're always welcome back," May told him, holding her arms out for a hug. Leaf, Hilda, Hilbert and Zo watched as everyone opened their arms, Ash only frozen in shock.

"Go on," Leaf whispered, nudging his shoulder. He struggled to take a step, then managed to continue walking. Feeling himself gently embraced by everyone, he smiled.

"...Thank you..." he whispered weakly, his lower lip nearly quivering. Zo, Hilda, Hilbert and Leaf watched with smiles as he was accepted into his old group of friends again.

"It makes you feel warm, doesn't it?" Hilda asked.

"Sure does." Leaf replied.

"I was expecting more pain...But I guess that passes." Hilbert crossed his arms, smirking with a nod.

"I thought it would be more dramatic, like some old childhood friend coming in or something..." Zo frowned, then noticed Paul and Brendan behind them. "Oh, yeah! I forgot you were here!"

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think is going to happen now?" Zo asked, the trio stepping out of the centre. They were confused at her words.<p>

"What do you mean?" Leaf asked.

"Well, there's always some dramatic event going on. With Ash and his old friends on good terms again, what do you think is coming next?" she inquired.

" I don't know, honestly," Hilbert shrugged, arms behind his head. "But, I hope it's something cool."

"I don't know what to say," Hilda replied. Everyone looked expectantly at Leaf, who blinked in confusion.

"What?" she asked, the others only looked at her. "I don't think anything's going to happen, if that's what you want."

"Oh, that reminds me of something!" Zo dropped her fist onto her open palm, smiling. "You, Dawn and May are starting a competition for Ash, aren't you?"

"W-What?" the brunette's face turned red, turning away in embarrassment. "Z-Zo, why are you making s-stuff up?"

"I'm not making it up, someone told me a while ago." she replied, tapping her chin. "I'm not sure who, though..."

"So you believe what strangers say?" Hilda asked, eyebrow arched.

"If it's something interesting," she shrugged, the others giving simultaneous sighs. "What do you guys want to do?"

"Whatever, I guess," Hilbert responded plainly, glancing away. Hilda and Leaf nodded.

"Alright..." Zo tapped her chin, thinking of possibilities. "...Shopping?"

"Sure!"

"Yesyesyes!"

"No way, never!"

"Oh, man up. You sound like Ash."

**END**

**Don't know if that's good enough or not, but whatever. Anyway, tomorrow's April 2nd. **_**Yayz.**_


	36. Chapter 36

**Birthday wasn't as bad as I thought, turns out.**

"That was the _worst_!" Hilbert sighed heavily, dropping to his knees.

"Hey! Don't drop those!" Leaf scolded, pointing to the bags on the ground, lying on their sides with the contents falling out. Hilbert only held his head low.

"Don't ignore her!" Hilda told him, glaring.

"Take it easy on the guy, he's almost died hundreds of times," Zo stated, holding her hand to the man. He looked up hopefully, surprised. "Come on."

"...Thanks, Zo," he said, breaking into a smile. Taking the girl's hand, he brought himself to his feet.

"Good?" she asked, the man giving a nod. "Alright, there's a lot of stores left."

* * *

><p>"So, what happens now?" Misty asked. "He's back, but he can't get off so easily."<p>

"See, that's what I was expecting," Ash sighed, taking a step away from the redhead.

"She is right, you know. We can't just put the five years of pain behind us." the blunette added, smiling slyly at the trainer, who shuddered.

"We'll take care of it later," Brock stated, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "For now, we should focus on cheering him on in the tournament."

"Thank you, Brock, I've always missed your advice," Ash smiled weakly, shuddering again at the possible thoughts going through the girls' minds. "That reminds me, I should check that."

"Your next battle?" the trainer nodded, moving towards the battle board.

"Same," Brendan added, quickly moving beside the raven-haired trainer and reading the list. Moments passed before both of them found their names at the same time.

* * *

><p>"Remind me never to trust you again..." Hilbert sighed, glaring at the girl.<p>

"Oh, suck it up," she stuck her tongue out, giggling.

"And we're underground, I can't even say it's getting dark or anything..." Hilbert frowned, arms behind his head.

"Should we say it's getting dark out?" Leaf whispered, the other brunette shaking her head with a sly smile.

"Nah," she replied quietly, the two sharing a round of giggling. Just then, the sound of a speaker system echoed through the entire mall.

"_Attention, shoppers. It is almost seven PM, the mall will be closing in six minutes."_

"YES!"

* * *

><p>The next day, Ash woke leaning against his tree, just as he had fallen asleep with Pikachu resting on his legs. His friends had gone to their room, while Leaf, Hilda, Hilbert and Zo had slept in the campsite with him as always. he had returned Charizard, allowing Hilbert a safe night's rest. "What time...?" he yawned, weakly lifting his wrist and looking at the device. Reading the digital clock, he yawned again. "A good...Two hours..." he rested his head against the tree again, closing his eyes.<p>

"Hey! Mr. Master, get up!" he groaned, falling to the ground on his side, Pikachu rolling a few feet away in a peaceful slumber. Zo frowned, hands on her hips as she moved towards him. "Wake up! Come on, you lazy human!"

"Zo...I swear..." he muttered, his tone sounding threatening but lazy.

"Ash, your girlfriend's gone," she stated plainly, watching his face for a change of expression.

"My girlfriend never existed, so of course she's not here," he replied lazily, giving another yawn. Pikachu's head slowly lifted, giving a yawn and a stretch before looking up at Zo.

"Can you get him to listen?" the mouse shrugged, stumbling over towards the tents. He looked in each of them, then moved back beside Ash and curled up into a ball.

"_Pikapi, chukapi pi._" the mouse spoke, closing its eyes.

"Leaf's gone?" Ash muttered.

"Yes, that's what I'm telling you," Zo rolled her eyes with a sigh. He sat up, stretching his arms behind his head with a few cracks.

"I didn't hear you say Leaf, so it's your fault," he replied, getting to his feet then stumbling into the tree.

"Nice," she told him, watching the trainer rub his forehead.

"Stupid tree..." he muttered, frowning. "Where would she go?"

"How should I know? She's your girlfriend," Zo told him, moving back towards the tent.

"She's _not_ my girlfriend," Ash responded, frowning as he watched the girl crouch into the tent.

"Sorry, _ex-girlfriend_," Zo replied, disappearing behind the flap. Ash sighed, moving through the trees in search of the brunette. Meanwhile, in the opposite tent of Zo, a sleeping figure awoke with a yawn. Lazily opening their eyes, they widened as they saw another figure curled up beside them.

"AAH!" they screamed, forcing the sleeping figure out of the tent.

"OW!" Hilbert cursed, colliding painfully and harshly against the tree. He fell to the ground, rubbing his head as he looked around, confused. Seeing the tent's flap open, he looked at Hilda's angry glare.

"Don't _ever_ pull something like that _again_!"

"But...It's my tent..."

"Stay away from me!"

"See that scratch? That was from Pidgeot the one time..."

"STAY AWAY!"

* * *

><p>"Where did you go...?" Ash muttered, looking around the central area. Seeing no one familiar, he frowned before moving into the centre.<p>

"Good morning, Mr. Ketchum," Nurse Joy greeted politely, smiling as always.

"You can just call me Ash, Nurse Joy," he told her, scanning the lobby.

"Looking for Leaf?" he arched an eyebrow, surprised. "I saw her walking outside a short time ago, she was going towards the battle areas."

"Thank you," he replied, leaving the centre and walking towards the large doorway. Moving through the first doorway, he looked around and saw a few people scattered around in quiet chats. "...She doesn't have a battle, so it's something else..."

"Ash Ketchum, I assume," he turned around, surprised as he saw a yawning blonde woman. "First the super-strong Shadow, now the famous Ash Ketchum. What identity do you have next?"

"Nothing planned, I assure you," he replied. "What brings you here, Miss Caitlin?"

"Please, call me Caitlin," she told him, giving a smile. "I hate being treated like royalty, except for a nice bed."

"As expected," Ash gave a chuckle. "By the way, have you seen Leaf around? Brown hair?"

"Let me think...If I recall, I did see a friend of yours a few minutes ago. We had a little chat, then the other Elites wanted to talk to her." Caitlin responded, the trainer giving a quiet sigh.

"Did they say why? Or where?" he asked.

"I believe not. But from what Hilbert has told me, I'm sure you will be able to figure it out," she smiled again.

"Okay, thank you, Caitlin." he waved, the blond-haired elite waving politely as he turned back towards the main entrance. Giving a sigh as he stopped outside, he crossed his arms. "If they wanted her...There's no doubt..."

* * *

><p>"Four..." Zo muttered, watching intently. The man got up, walking back towards the tent with a frown, then was forced back into the same tree again. "Five..."<p>

"Come on, give me back my tent!" Hilbert pleaded, moving back towards the tent.

"Six..."

"No way! It can't be your tent!" Hilda replied from within the tent.

"It has the scratch, what else do you need?" Hilbert asked, standing again and moving towards the tent.

"Seven..."

"There's no way I would be in your tent! No way!" Hilda responded harshly, the man shaking his head.

"I don't know why, but you are..." he told her, standing again and repeating his thoughtless action.

"Eight..."

"I said stay away from me!" she yelled, the man standing again.

"What do you think, Pikachu?" Zo asked, glancing at the mouse beside her.

"_Chupi_."

"Twenty-five? Alright, you're on," she smirked, the pair watching the man carefully. "Nine.."

"I'm getting my tent back, whether you like it or not!" Hilbert told her, standing again.

"Ten...I'm regretting this now..."

* * *

><p>"This is insane..." Ash muttered, giving a sigh as he closed his eyes. "Think like a girl...Think like a girl..."<p>

"The mall, a bed, teasing men or annoying them," a voice stated behind him, the figure smirking with his hands in his pockets.

"True, but I've checked all of those," Ash told him, turning to face Paul.

"Then I'm out," he shrugged.

"Why are you even still around?" Ash asked, looking oddly at him.

"Watching trainers battle, I guess," he replied, looking away with a sly smirk. "Plus, I want to see how you handle your situation."

"Not you, too..." he sighed, shaking his head.

"Ash!"

"Look, it answered itself." Paul told him, the pair recognizing the voice.

"About time..." he muttered, turning to see the brunette hurrying towards them.

"Hey! What's up?" she asked, smiling sweetly.

"Looking for you, about...Ten minutes now," he told her, arms crossed.

"Aww, that's sweet," she replied, sticking her tongue out playfully with a wink. "Sorry, I was meeting with someone."

"Yeah, the three Elites, I know," she looked surprised at him. "I ran into Caitlin."

"Oh," she responded plainly. "Did...she say why?"

"She didn't know," he answered.

"Okay," she gave a quiet sigh, glancing away. Ash and Paul glanced at each other, unconvinced.

"But I have a good idea why," her cheeks turned pink, looking back at him nervously.

"Really?" she asked, giving a nervous laugh. He nodded, opening his mouth but felt a sharp punch to his side.

"Doesn't he battle soon?" Paul asked, smirking. The brunette gasped.

"Ohmygosh, he does! Come on, Ash!" she grabbed his hand, quickly pulling him away. Ash looked back at Paul with a glare. The trainer held two fingers to his forehead in a salute, flicking them away before heading his own way.

"I will get you back...Mark the pain in my arm, I will..."

* * *

><p>"Wake up! Wake up!" Dawn told them, but everyone remained motionless. "Alright, didn't want to..."<p>

"Shut up!" Misty shouted, pulling a pillow over her head. Suddenly, everyone jumped up with angry looks at the blunette, who held two pots behind her back with a sly smile.

"Wasn't me," she told them, giggling to herself as she pointed to the clock. "It's almost time for his battle!"

"Who's?" Max asked lazily, rubbing his eye.

"Ash's, of course!" everyone's minds clicked, recalling the previous day.

"Ash is back!" Max jumped to his feet, beaming.

"That's right, Max," he saw his older sister coming out of the small bathroom, smiling as she was dressed and cleaned. "Come on, we can't be late! Get up!"

"You sure want to make an impression..." Dawn told her, smiling slyly.

"You were up before me, Dawn..."

"I'm always up at four in the morning."

"...Right..."

* * *

><p>"Alright, go get 'em!" Leaf said cheerfully, smiling with a wink as the trainer rubbed his wrist.<p>

"Alright," he replied, moving to his side of the field. He could see in the crowd Leaf, Hilbert, Hilda and Zo smiling to him. Behind them in the distance, he barely made out the many figures of his old friends rushing towards the field. He smiled, then looked down the field. Both trainers nodded, smirking as their awaited battle had come.

"The battle between Ash Ketchum of Kanto and Brendan Birch of Hoenn will now begin!"

**END**

**I couldn't resist adding Zo and Pikachu's bet on Hilbert, it seems too believable to not go in.**

**Who will win the battle?  
>Who will be battling? What battle-style?<br>What did the Elites talk about with Leaf?  
>Who won the bet, Zo or Pikachu?<strong>


	37. Chapter 37

**I can't wait for Tuesday, it's gonna be awesome! If you're a HLP fan, you will know why. Alright, on with the story.  
>Thanks to PichuAuraGuardian18 for noticing my battle mistake, not sure if anyone else caught it. Or cared, but still.<br>**

"Hey, Ash! How about a triple battle?" Brendan called, Ash smirked.

"Two rounds...Alright, you're on!" he called back, taking three pokeballs from his belt between his fingers. "I'm glad I chose these guys, then..."

"Let's go!" Brendan tossed his pokeballs first, the three bursts of light quickly striking the ground. The left figure was a brown figure with white hair down its back and leaves for hands, the right figure a blue and yellow dog-like creature, and standing between them was a large orange-furred camel with two rocky humps on its back.

"It's been a while, but I know you won't let me down..." Ash muttered, smirking as he tossed his three spheres into the air. The first light came down to the left as a human-sized green and white figure with blades extending from its elbows, the right was a blue canine-like figure on its hind legs, and between them was a floating figure of white grace with a frosty mist around it. They all got in a defensive position, their opponents copying.

"Battle begin!"

"Manectric, Thunderbolt! Shiftry, Bullet Seed!" the electric bolt and array of seeds darted across the field for their opponents.

"Froslass, Ominous Wind," the ice-type extended its arms, a purple-shaded gust of wind coming from behind it and cutting through the attacks, blowing into the opposing trio with a damaging effect. "Now, Blizzard," another gust of wind blew across the field, this one making everyone nearby shiver but Ash and his pokemon.

"Camerupt, Eruption!" the camel stomped its foot down, moving forward as it released a shower of molten rocks from its back, pushing through the cold wind.

"Gallade, Psychic," the pokemon's eyes flashed blue, the rocks stopping in mid-air. "Now, on Shiftry," under influence of psychic powers, the rocks changed course and fell towards the grass-type.

"Shiftry, dodge!" the pokemon jumped evasively, narrowly dodging the burning rocks as they crashed into the ground. "Leaf Tornado!" a vortex of leaves was sent towards the psychic-type.

"Froslass, Blizzard," the leaves instantly froze, dropping to the ground and shattering. "Ice Beam on Camerupt," the ray of solid ice gained on the large camel quickly, striking its leg. The camel grunted, feeling a large block of ice connect its leg to the ground.

"Manectric, Thunderbolt! Shiftry, Leaf Tornado again!" the two attacks advanced on Ash's pokemon.

"Froslass, Ominous Wind. Gallade, Psychic on Manectric," the ghost-type attack cancelled the attacks, once again causing Brendan's pokemon to endure the eery power. Manectric grunted, feeling itself held in place as it became outlined in blue.

"Shiftry, Bullet Seed on Gallade!" the grass-type fired an array of small seeds, hoping to break its friend free of the psychic will.

"Froslass, defend. Lucario, Bone Rush on Manectric," the ice-type cancelled the seeds with a gust of below-zero wind, the canine dashing down the field at an alarming speed. A blue club shaped as a bone materialized in its paws, swiftly lowering it under the electric-type and swinging upward. Manectric was sent into the air, Lucario quickly jumped up and swung the bone down into its back, sending it crashing back to the ground. "Aura Sphere," the bone quickly disappeared, replaced by two blue spheres and fired into the electric-type's side, earning a responding grunt of pain.

"Shiftry, Energy Ball on Lucario!" Brendan commanded, the grass-type throwing a green pulsing sphere at the airborne canine.

"Gallade, block it with Night Slash," the psychic-type quickly dashed down the field like its partner earlier, jumping into the air with its blades glowing a deep black. It sliced easily through the sphere, a layer of smoke pouring out of it. The grass-type watched carefully, but was still surprised as the psychic-type burst from the smoke, swinging its blade down on the pokemon's head. "Change to Camerupt," it changed targets, slashing down on the camel, still frozen to the ground.

"Shiftry, Shadow Ball! Manectric, please get up!" Brendan watched the grass-type throw a purple sphere at the pokemon attacking its partner, the electric-type struggled to stand.

"Lucario, keep Shiftry at a distance. Froslass, Ice Beam on Manectric," the ice-type fired an icy ray at the weak dog, freezing its legs to the ground as Lucario forced the grass-type away.

"_They...They're so in sync...!_" Brendan thought, gritting his teeth as he watched Ash's pokemon battle so fluently and efficiently. "But I'm not giving up! Camerupt, Lava Plume!" the camel's eyes burned with passion, the ice on its leg disappearing as its body grew warmer. Fire suddenly poured from its back, similar to Explosion but in a wider range.

"Gallade, pull back. Lucario, give Shiftry a present before retreating," the psychic-type quickly jumped back to Ash's side, the canine grabbed the grass-type and threw it back towards the camel, then returned to Ash.

"Camerupt, stop!" Brendan shouted, eyes wide as he watched his grass-type move into range of the super-effective attack. The camel grunted as the pokemon hit its side, the fire pouring down around it, enveloping the grass-type. "No! Shiftry!"

"Shadow Ball," the ice-type held out an arm, a purple sphere forming at the end before launching towards the frozen electric-type, exploding and shattering the ice. The lava faded, the electric-type and grass-type falling forward simultaneously.

"Manectric and Shiftry are unable to battle!" the ref announced, arms raised with the flags motionlessly hanging from the handles. Brendan frowned, recalling his defeated pair and thanking them quietly. Pulling two more, he tossed the pokeballs.

* * *

><p>"Wow! Double knockout!" Iris gasped.<p>

"Those three are definitely no strangers to a triple battle," Brock stated, referring to Ash's pokemon.

"Yeah, they train together all the time. Ash doesn't actually carry them around a lot, they always want to travel and train on their own." Hilbert stated, arms behind his head.

"Gallade and Lucario are always training together, so they're definitely a dangerous pair to face. Froslass acts like a mother, she...Keeps the two in line." Hilda chuckled, Zo and Hilbert nodding.

"Well, that's...An interesting background..." Max sweat-dropped, chuckling to himself.

"Without Ash, they would still be in the wild and never have met each other. That would be boring," Zo smiled.

"May? You okay?" Misty asked, waving her hand in front of the brunette. Her blank expression disappeared, blinking rapidly.

"What?" she asked.

"You spaced out, something wrong?" the redhead asked. The brunette hesitated, then shook her head.

"Probably still shocked from Ash being back," Iris told them, nodding.

"Or it could be about the battle," everyone looked at Leaf, confused. "Think about it. Who would you want to win, your _childhood_ friend or _best_ friend?"

"...I don't know..."

"Exactly," Leaf gave a warm smile to May, who only blushed in response.

* * *

><p>"Alright, guys. Take a break," the trio looked at Ash with surprised expressions, then nodded. Disappearing in the red lights, they only wondered what was going through their trainer's mind. Ash thought to himself, looking at his new opponents. The large orange camel, a white pelican, and a large steel figure.<p>

"What's going through his mind...?" Brendan muttered to himself, getting a weird sensation. "...That was weird..."

"Size doesn't matter this time," Ash smirked, tossing his three pokeballs and releasing his team. The two smaller pokemon materialized first, a small pink and black figure on each side with a large green lizard separating them, a trademark twig in its mouth.

"Pelipper, Hydro Pump! Camerupt, Earth Power!" the camel stomped its feet, a crevice moving quickly down the field under an intense blast of water.

"Dodge," the two small figures dashed at a surprising speed to the side of the field, the lizard jumping above. "Double Shadow Ball," the eeveelutions attacked with a purple sphere from both sides, Brendan's team looking back and forth between the two.

"Pelipper, Hydro Pump! Aggron, Flash Cannon!" both spheres exploded, the attacks advancing on the small figures.

"Dodge. Sceptile, Dragon Pulse on Camerupt," the grass-type formed a blue sphere between its claws, throwing it at the camel's feet and exploding beneath it. "Leaf Storm, then close in with Leaf Blade," the lizard released a vortex on the camel, scratching its sides then amazingly appearing in front of it in a split second. Slashing its head with a glowing blade. "Now Aggron," it abruptly changed targets, slashing Aggron's chest unexpectedly before somersaulting on the ground, returning back to Ash.

"Pelipper, Tailwind!" the pelican released a gust of wind, but it didn't stop. it continued to blow from behind it. "Aerial Ace! And Aggron, Dragon Claw!" the bird's wings extended, gliding along the ground. Catching the wind, its speed increased rapidly as it reached the other side of the field in nearly a few seconds, with the steel-type moving faster under the influence of Tailwind.

"Sceptile, Leaf Blade. Espeon, Psychic," the lizard crossed its blades, clashing against the bird's beak. The small pink figure's eyes glowed blue, the steel-type being held in place before being sent back to its side. "Grab Pelipper," Sceptile cut off its attack, ducking as the bird moved over it, but grabbed its wings quickly.

"What!" Brendan gasped, eyes wide in surprise.

"Espeon, Umbreon, Shadow Ball," the two small figures fired a purple sphere from each side, Sceptile releasing it and quickly retreating before the attacks struck the bird. Exploding on each side, it dropped to the ground and barely caught itself before hitting the ground. "Espeon, Iron Tail. Umbreon, Dark Pulse on Camerupt," the psychic-type dropped its silver-gleaming tail on the bird's back, sending it into the ground painfully. The dark-type released a strange dark chain-like attack towards the camel, striking its side.

"Camerupt! Pelipper!" Brendan called, the camel struggling to keep itself up while the pelican fell again.

"Pelipper is unable to battle!" the ref announced, Brendan recalling the bird. Tossing another pokeball, he released his star fighter.

"...I didn't want to..." frowning, he clenched his fists. "...But, we'll have to! Let's show them our training with Tucker!"

* * *

><p>"Huh What does he mean?" Max blinked, confused at the trainer's words.<p>

"Max, Dome Ace Tucker. Battle Frontier," Brock reminded him.

"...Oh! That's right!" Max exclaimed, dropping his fist onto an open palm in realization.

"If it's Tucker...Then there's no doubt what it is..." May muttered, looking at Brendan, noticing a smirk. Looking over at Ash, he only grinned.

* * *

><p>"So he trained with Tucker...It has to be..." Ash told himself, smirking with his hands in his pockets.<p>

"Camerupt, Lava Plume! Swampert, Hydro Pump!" the mud fish stepped forward, spinning on its back while releasing a powerful watery blast, spinning in a vortex. Camerupt stomped its foot, angling its back and releasing a shower of flames from it back, shooting straight upward and falling back down inside the water spiral.

"...Get ready, guys...This is big..." the trio nodded, Ash watched as his thought formed on the field. The flames began churning, moving in a rotational pattern inside the water. The water and flames merged together, not exploding into steam, but glowing a brilliant shade of blue and red as they became a unified vortex of flames and water.

"This is it...The result of Tucker's training..." Brendan muttered to himself, smirking. "Fire and water...Fusion!"

* * *

><p>"I knew it..." May spoke under her breath, her lips curling into a weak smile. "...Only he would want that training..."<p>

"Wow! That's what he meant!" Max exclaimed, his sister and Brock sweat-dropping. "It's been a while since I've seen that!"

"Me, too!" Dawn added, her eyes shimmering like stars as she clasped her hands together. "It's so beautiful~!"

"Wait! Tell us what this is!" Iris waved her arms in front of her face, but she didn't even acknowledge the purple-haired girl's existence.

"It's the fusion of water and fire," she looked at Brock, as well as everyone else but Max and May. "Water and fire normally create mist when in contact, but someone had found a way to turn that into a flashy move."

"That was Dome Ace Tucker, from the Kanto Battle Frontier," Max added, a finger pointed in the air. "Ash had defeated him for the Tactics Symbol."

"Fire and water, huh?" Hilda asked, looking back at the glorious performance. "Looks like something for a contest, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but it's a very difficult thing to do without fail. Brendan must have put a lot of training if he can do this perfectly," Brock stated, arms crossed.

"I've heard about that before..." Leaf tapped a finger on her chin. "During my journey through Hoenn, I saw a few trainers on TV trying that move. I never would have imagined it to be so beautiful, though..."

"A move fit for a master coordinator," May stated, crossing her arms with a smile. Dawn crossed her arms, leaning her back against the brunette's.

"Thank you for the compliment," she told her, smirking.

"I had someone else in mind..."

* * *

><p>"Swampert, attack!" the water-type starter pushed its tail, forcing the vortex off its tail and sending it across the field, the air being drawn into it. Ash's pokemon held their ground, struggling to remain on the ground.<p>

"Umbreon, Dark Pulse. Espeon, Psybeam. Sceptile, Solarbeam." the three pokemon closed their eyes and charged their attacks, Sceptile's bulbs glowing, Espeon's forehead gem glowing and Umbreon's forehead ring. Snapping their eyes open, they grinned. "Fire," the three powerful attacks headed straight for the front of the vortex, then suddenly changed course and went straight up.

"What the...?" Brendan asked, watching the attacks go up over the vortex. His eyes widened. "That has to be!"

"Keep it up, Espeon," the pink cat nodded, its eyes glowing blue as it guided the attacks back down into the vortex. Forcing them together, the attacks collided inside, exploding. Sceptile moved itself over the smaller pair, protecting them as the vortex was destroyed from the inside, flames and water raining down lightly.

"Our...Our training...It was for nothing..." Brendan said to himself, amazed as his combination was destroyed so easily.

"Shows aren't always power. Dark Pulse and Psybeam on Camerupt," the rainbow-colored and dark attacks struck the camel, dropping to its knees with a grunt. "Dragon Pulse," Sceptile threw the blue sphere, colliding with Camerupt's forehead and exploding. The camel fell on its side, motionless.

"Camerupt is unable to battle!" the ref announced, Brendan recalling the pokemon with his teeth forced together.

"Aggron, Flash Cannon on Sceptile!" the ray of steel energy advanced on the grass-type.

"Dodge, then Leaf Storm," the lizard released a tornado of leaves at the large pokemon, scratching all over its body. "Dragon Pulse. Espeon, Psybeam," the blue sphere exploded at its feet, blinding it. Surprised to feel pain on its chest, it stumbled back as the colorful beam hit its mark.

"Flash Cannon again! Swampert, Hydro Pump!" Brendan commanded, the two attacks released simultaneously.

"Sceptile, Dragon Pulse. Espeon, Umbreon, Shadow Ball on Aggron," the tree gecko threw another blue sphere, countering the two attacks and cancelling all three out. At the same time, the two small figures jumped in the air and released two purple spheres at the steep-type. "Dark Pulse," the dark-type released the chain-like attack, sending Aggron skidding along the ground with a grunt.

"Aggron!" the steel-type stumbled for a moment, regaining its posture while panting.

"Espeon, Iron Tail," the small pink figure swung a silver-gleaming tail into Aggron's cheek, its eyes widening as the cat returned back to its side. Its head still turned to the side with the mark on its face, it fell to its knees, then to its chest.

"Aggron is unable to battle!" the ref announced, the Hoenn trainer gritting his teeth as he recalled the steel-type.

"Espeon, Umbreon, good job," the two pokemon smiled, jumping on Ash's legs for attention. "Easy, I still have a battle. I'll play with you later, okay?" they nodded, their faces beaming as they sat at his feet. Ash recalled the pair, smirking as he looked at Sceptile. "It's all on you, buddy." the lizard nodded, facing against the water-type.

* * *

><p>"It's starter vs. starter! Hoenn style!" Max exclaimed, beaming as he watched the two face each other.<p>

"Calm down, Max." his sister told him.

"But this _is_ really cool! How often do you see two fully-evolved starters from the same region face each other, and at such a level?" Dawn added, eyes gleaming again.

"And she just snapped out, too..." Misty frowned, shaking her head with a sigh.

"Ash has a double advantage here, grass against a water-/ground-type. This is an easy win for him," Hilbert told them, smirking.

"That's close to true," the brunette earned everyone's attention, looking at them with a serious expression. "I know Brendan. And he doesn't go out without a fight."

"Swampert, Hydro Pump!" Brendan commanded, the mud fish releasing a powerful blast of water.

"Dragon Pulse," the lizard threw the blue sphere, exploding and cutting off the water. "Leaf Storm."

"Hammer Arm!" the starter swung its glowing fists down, releasing several chunks of earth into the air. The leaves struck the rocks, but the water-type was surprised as it felt itself be cut all over its body. Watching the rocks fall to the ground, it noticed they were significantly smaller and there were more in numbers. "Muddy Water!" a large wave of dirty water appeared beneath the mud fish, sending it into the air as it advanced over the lizard.

"Spin with Leaf Storm," the lizard spun on the ground on its back, releasing a vortex of leaves that moved in every direction. The leaves slashed through the water, but didn't fully defeat it. The leave only managed to hold the wave back, until Sceptile got tired.

"Dive on it!" Swampert burst from the water, falling from the air above the spinning lizard. "Ice Punch!"

"Leaf Blade," the lizard suddenly stopped, jumping into the air towards the mud fish with its blades glowing green. Swampert thrust an icy fist at the lizard, but it gracefully spun in the air, narrowly dodging the fist. Putting its arm out with a grin, the mud fish's eyes widened as it felt a great sharp pain in its stomach, being sent back into the air.

"Ice Punch again!" Brendan shouted.

"Send it down," the water-type attempted another punch, but was thrown to the ground. Barely catching itself, it managed to land on its feet. "Charge Solarbeam," the bulbs on its back glowed, the power rising quickly.

"Swampert, Ice Beam!" the mud fish released an icy beam at the airborne lizard.

"Leaf Blade," the grass-type easily cut through it, grinning. "Launch attack," the bulbs on its back glowed again, Sceptile released the devastating attack down on the water-type.

"Ice Beam again!" Swampert released the powerful icy ray, colliding against the solar attack. Feeling its attack forced back, it used all possible efforts to keep the attack going. Suddenly, in a split second, it felt a sharp pain again as both attacks cancelled out. The crowd gasped, noticing the scene suddenly change in a split second. Swampert's eyes were wide, standing with Sceptile behind it, one elbow raised with a glowing blade and a grin. "Swampert!"

"Check and mate," Ash crossed his arms, smirking. The mud fish remained still for a few moments, then Sceptile turned its head slightly to glance back. Falling to its knees, Swampert hit the ground on its chin with its eyes closed.

"Swampert is unable to battle! Ash Ketchum and Sceptile are the winners!" the ref raised his flags, the crowd cheering. Brendan frowned, recalling his starter. Sceptile returned to Ash's side, the pair grinning.

"You didn't have to show off, Sceptile," the lizard nodded, his trainer chuckling. "Alright, good job anyways. Take a break," the lizard disappeared in the red beam of light, then the trainers met at the center of the field.

"Good battle, Brendan." Ash offered his hand, his smirk turning into a genuine smile. Brendan smiled, putting his hand in his.

"Good battle," the pair nodded, then broke their hands apart. "So, who do you think May was cheering for?"

"Probably you, being a childhood friend and all," Ash shrugged.

"I don't know, she said a lot about you the other day," Ash arched an eyebrow. "Oh, nothing, you don't need to know."

"That's nice," the pair chuckled, returning to the side of the field as the crowd had disappeared. Except for their group, of course.

"You two were awesome!" Max exclaimed, hands in the air. "That was so intense! Hoenn starter vs. Hoenn starter!"

"Stop repeating!" May hit his head, the boy forming mock tears.

"That was great, Brendan! You have to tell me how you got the water-fire fusion so perfect!" Brendan stepped back, the blunette moving a little close to him. "Please, tell me! Tell me, tell me!"

"Dawn, cool it!" Misty dragged the girl's arm, her body being forced back. Brendan sighed in relief.

"Although she is right. How did you manage to get it so well?" Hilda asked.

"Training with Tucker, he has the best advice, being the one who came up with it." the trainer shrugged in response.

"Ah..." Hilda looked away, believing there was something else. That seemed too simple...

"So, who's up for lunch?" Brendan clapped his hands together, grinning sheepishly.

"I could go for some," Ash added plainly, hands in his pockets. Everyone looked at him with surprised expressions. "...What?"

"Nothing," Iris told him, waving it off. However, everyone was still thinking their previous thought.

"Alright, let's go to the cafe then!" Leaf pumped her fist in the air, everyone nodded. Zo, Max and Brendan gave confused looks. "...The cafe is in the mall."

"Does that place have _everything_?"

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ash, I've been meaning to ask you..." Max said, chewing lightly on a burger. The trainer looked at him. "Where have you been all this time? You couldn't have been training in any of the regions you've traveled, you can't carry all your pokemon."<p>

"That is true, I started training at different places across the globe with different pokemon, training specific types against their weaknesses," Ash told them, swallowing a couple of fries. "After training, I thought of living permanently on Mt. Silver, where no one dared to go. Flying oversea, I passed an island."

"Were there wild pokemon?" Misty asked.

"No, it was deserted. But there was plant-life, fruit, and plenty of beautiful sun and shade, as well as the beach surrounding the island. My pokemon voted on using the island as a home, so that's where I've been since." Ash explained, taking another drink of his soda. "The island's off mainland, so it's out of the PSPS."

"...What?"

"Pokedex Scanning Program System."

"Where did you get that name?"

"It's the official name for the system, if you ask around."

"Seriously? I thought it would be something simple..."

"Yeah, PSPS."

"...Ah, I get you now!"

"There you go," Ash smirked to himself, taking more fries in his mouth. He looked around, then noticed someone peculiar at a nearby booth. "Hold on a sec," he stood, leaving the others in confusion as he moved away. The figure turned a corner, Ash walked faster and came around the corner. Surprised, he found the figure directly in front of him, their faces close. "Whoa! Jeez, so close?"

"I knew you would follow me," he replied, turning away. "Go back to your friends."

"Yeah, I would do that when you're clearly up to something," Ash crossed his arms. "Why would Paul, the super-strong pokemon trainer, be at a booth called_ To Impress Your One_?"

"I was telling the clerk not to sell anything to Troublesome," he stuffed his hands in his pockets, turning back to face him. "She's actually taking this playing-with-her-mind thing seriously."

"I know, this is Dawn," Ash stated, crossing his arms with a sigh. "She's persistent when it comes to proving a point."

"Can't you do something about her? Being a friend, isn't there some sort of favor-respectable relation between you two?" he asked.

"Nothing like that, not really. I mean, I probably could, but it's funnier if I don't," Ash smirked.

"You really are different," Paul remarked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Ash shrugged. "So, want to tell me why you were _really_ at that booth?"

"Already told you," he responded, turning away.

"I could get Dawn over here," Paul cringed, turning to face him again. He smirked, noticing some familiar figures in the background, surrounded by a small crowd.

"Go right ahead," Paul told him. Ash looked at him oddly, moments passed as they stared at each other.

"...Hey, Dawn! Paul wants you over here!"

"Unova Elites! Ash and his girlfriends are over here!"

"Aw, _dammit_!"

**END**

**Who will get caught first, Paul or Ash?  
>What will Dawn do if she catches Paul?<br>What will the Elites do if they catch Ash and bring him back to the girls?  
>How is May feeling about the AshBrendan situation?  
>Will Ash survive after an embarrassing situation with Leaf?<strong>

**Yes, I plan on a situation between Ash and Leaf. It won't be romantic, sorry for fans expecting that, but there are a few words to describe it.**

**Embarrassing, accidental, painful.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Have you ever wondered why some lives are better than others? I wonder that every day, I see celebrities on TV with their mansions. Then there's me.**

Ash breathed heavily, glancing back around the corner. He began running again, deciding not to look back this time. He disappeared up the stairway, passing various people in an attempt to escape. "Please...Let me have a few moments of peace..." the raven-haired trainer mumbled to himself, cursing under his breath as he hurried down the hallway. Finally reaching the end, he quickly moved around the corner, planting his back against the wall.

"Trouble, Mr. Ketchum?" Ash sighed, giving a nod. The nurse standing beside him frowned, hands held behind her back. "You were getting along yesterday, were they only pretending?"

"No, it's not them," the pink-haired woman tilted her head, confused. "Paul's a traitor."

"Sent the Unova Elites on you?" he nodded, frowning. "I'm assuming you sent your blue-haired friend, then."

"Well, he had it coming..." he rubbed the back of his head, focusing his gaze on a floor tile. "Besides, when you see those two near each other, you can't help it."

"Apparently he can't help putting you and the Elites together, then," the nurse concluded, giving him a smile. "Congratulations on your battle, your pokemon are feeling better," the nurse held out a tray, holding six pokeballs.

"Thank you," he took his pokeballs back, placing them on his belt again. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to run for my life."

"I won't stop you," she gave him a wave, returning to her post behind the desk. The trainer nodded, preparing to run out of the building. However, he stopped.

"Wait...They'll expect me at the camp..." he told himself, shuddering at the thought of meeting them there. "...But...The lake has enough space for all my pokemon..."

* * *

><p>"Where did he go?" Max asked, looking around. The group had finished eating, but were now looking for the missing raven-haired trainer. "He just disappeared."<p>

"Dawn went after Paul, so he's in for a good time," Hilbert chuckled to himself, then felt a fist to his gut. Grunting, he glared at Hilda.

"This is your fault, you know," he gave an innocent look, looking at her oddly. "You were the one who told the Elites to torture Ash with his situation!"

"Oh, right," he looked away, giving a shrug. "I couldn't resist, I needed to get him back somehow."

"Using the Elites for taunting Ash and his girlfriend situation is _not_ the way to do it!" she punched him again, the man stepping away from her.

"We can't fight, we have to find him," May told them, looking away with her face burning.

"Seems someone is a little keen on finding him," Dawn whispered slyly, leaning closely to the girl with a smile.

"So do you, and Leaf," the pair looked over towards the brunette, but she was no longer where she had been standing. Looking around, the girl was nowhere in sight. "Speaking of which...Where is Leaf?"

* * *

><p>"Finally, I got away from them..." Leaf whispered, letting out her breath. Stepping out of the lobby's doors, she moved outside and looked around as she moved through the trees. "I guess I don't need to haul you guys around, huh?" she asked herself, placing her pokeballs inside her own tent. Giving a smile, she turned around. Surprised, there was another figure.<p>

"I had a feeling you would avoid them," the blonde woman spoke, giving a warm smile.

"How did you know I would come here?" Leaf asked.

"Just a hunch, as well as watching you walk here," the brunette gave a nervous laugh, rubbing her arm. "The other Elites are more suited for embarrassing Ash, they don't know a woman's heart or mind."

"And that's why you came to me? Because you understand how a woman feels?" the woman nodded, giving a yawn. "Why did you agree to this, Caitlin?"

"Because a young romance story is always something to enjoy," the Elite replied. "I understand Ash ran off, would you happen to know where?"

"The other Elites set you up to this, didn't they?" she shook her head. "Really? ...Well...I wouldn't know _exactly_, but there are a few places that are more likely."

* * *

><p>"Finally...Peace..." Ash sighed in relief, looking at the glistening water's surface. "...How this lake is natural, it's amazing..."<p>

"_Pikapi!_" he smiled, stroking the chin of the mouse on his shoulder.

"Yes, you're welcome for picking you up first," the mouse smiled, cooing at the attention being given. "The others will find us soon, so we should enjoy this while we can." suddenly, two bursts of light came from his belt. Surprised, he felt the cloth around his head be removed.

"_Umbre!_"

"_Espe!_" the small figures smiled, the pink feline running with an object in its mouth.

"Hey, Espeon! Give me my bandana!" Ash told the figure, chasing after it. The pink cat continued running, taunting the trainer by going in a repetitive movement sequence. "Come on, I'll play with you! Just give me my bandana!" he laughed, the figures continuing to avoid him. Suddenly, the yellow mouse sprung the feline from behind, grabbing the cloth. The pink and dark figures frowned at the mouse, who returned the cloth to the trainer. "Thanks, Pi. So, you want to play tag?" the three figures nodded, dashing away from him. Ash frowned, chasing them through the trees. "Hey! No head-starts!"

* * *

><p>"Not here..."<p>

...

"Not here, either..."

... ...

"Man, where is he?" Leaf asked, giving a sigh as she put her hands on her hips. Looking around, the trainer was nowhere in sight. "This is the third place I've looked, where could he be?" she asked, blowing a strand of hair from her eye with a frown. "...Well...May as well check the lake next."

* * *

><p>"Is there anywhere he would be besides here?" Grimsley asked, looking at the others.<p>

"Well, there are my training spots," Marshal stated, crossing his arms. "But he wouldn't be foolish enough."

"Then where else is there?" Misty asked, arms crossed with a frown. "If he's not at this campsite, I'm drawing a blank here."

"Maybe he's hiding in the pokemon centre hallways!" Max suggested, earning confused looks. "What? He would go somewhere we wouldn't think of, right?"

"...I guess..."

"Then let's go!"

* * *

><p>"Ash?" Leaf asked, looking around the natural area. She frowned, hands on her hips as she looked at the shining water. "...Wow...It's beautiful..." she whispered, her lips curling into a smile. A though popped into her head, her cheeks turning pink. She looked around carefully, holding a hand at her chest. "...I guess there's no one around..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Where, oh where, did you go...?" Ash whispered, looking around carefully with a smile. He heard a rustling in the bushes to his left, staring intently.<p>

"_Chu..._"

"A trick..." he whispered, looking in the opposite direction. As he had thought, he noticed his small dark-type freeze on the spot, staring at him like being caught in headlights. "Aha! Found you, Umbreon!"

"_Umbreon umbre!_" the pokemon frowned, shaking its head.

"Next time, don't team with Pikachu," the dark-type lowered its head, sulking as it moved towards its trainer. "Alright, help me find Pi and Espeon now." the dark-type nodded, its frown disappearing and being replaced by a smile.

* * *

><p>"So...What's your next bright idea, Max?" May asked, looking at the boy intently.<p>

"...It was only an idea..." he replied, lowering his head.

"Not his camp, not his training spots, not an unlikely place..." Cilan listed, the connoisseur became more confused at each word. "Where could he be?"

"I bet he asked Nurse Joy for a room to hide in or something!" Dawn exclaimed, everyone looked at her oddly.

"That's even worse than my suggestion," Max told her.

"But, what if he did and we don't check?" she asked, everyone went silent.

"...Stupid theories that make sense..."

* * *

><p>"There's Espeon!" Ash pointed at a tree, which had been rustling moments earlier. Now, a small pink object was dangling from the leaves. Ash moved under the tree, gently shaking the paw. He parted the leaves, revealing a frowning Espeon with its paw hanging from the branch it was perched on. "Gotcha," the pink pokemon nodded, jumping to the ground and sitting with Umbreon and Pikachu. "Alright, so that's all three of you."<p>

"_Umbreon?_" the dark-type asked.

"...Sorry, buddy. I gotta make sure no one's found me yet," the dark-type and psychic-type began rubbing affectionately against his legs, making the trainer smile. "One minute, I'll be back in one minute." the trio nodded, smiling. Ash nodded, walking away from them. He gave a content sigh, smiling as he looked out at the distant water. At that moment, something caught his eye. His gaze moving to the closer water's edge, his brain took a moment to register what was in front of him. He felt himself begin to sweat, his eyes wide.

* * *

><p>"I give up," Max sighed, plopping down into a chair.<p>

"Come on, get up!" May yanked on his arm, but he remained in the seat. "We have to continue searching, this is the only answer left!"

"No matter how smart he may be now, he would _never_ hide in the mall. Do you know how much he hates this place?" Max asked her, giving a strange look.

"That's exactly the point, he _hates_ it! He thinks we would never look here, because we would think that!" May told him, smiling.

"...May, we've just used that theory for many places, I don't think it's going to work." he told her, waving his wrist. "Go on without me, I'm taking a break."

"Oh, no you're not!" the boy grunted, feeling himself hit the floor. Looking back, he glared at the blunette holding his chair in the air. "We are finding him, no rest!"

"Leave me be!" the boy pleaded, growing limp on the floor. The brunette grabbed her brother's hands, dragging him across the floor while the others followed, exchanging worried looks.

* * *

><p>Ash and Leaf's eyes met, an uncomfortable silence in the air as time seemed to stop. A pile of neatly-folded clothes was sitting by the water's edge, the brunette standing in the water with a surprised and confused expression. With the water barely above her hips, Ash was beyond shocked to see his childhood friend's revealed figure.<p>

"...AAAH!" she suddenly shrieked, crossing her arms over her chest and dropping neck-deep under the water. Ash stumbled back, his back hitting the tree. He stared at the ground, his face burning red. The brunette stared at the water's surface, her face also burning. The teens slowly looked at each other, but as their eyes met, they quickly turned away.

"...I...I'm so s-sorry...I had no idea y-you were h-here...!" Ash stuttered, his voice nearly cracking as he tried to apologize.

"...Turn around..." hesitantly, he looked at her again. He was relieved to see only her head, bt her expression was dark. "...I was getting out, so turn around..."

"Y-Yes..." he turned himself, staring intently at the tree. The brunette stood again slowly, taking the towel from the grass and wrapping it around herself. Double-checking the tightness, she felt satisfied and stepped out of the water. "...L-Leaf...?"

"...I have a towel on," she told him, the trainer giving a gulp. Slowly turning around, he noticed her standing with her clothes in her hand, a towel around her body. His face heated up again, the towel showed off her hourglass figure. "...W-What...?" she asked quietly, noticing his stare.

"N-Nothing," he quickly replied, turning away. "I'm sorry again," he told her, moving quickly out of the clearing and into the trees. He forced his eyes closed tightly, but the image remained in his head. "W-What's wrong with me...Why can't I forget it...?"

"Ash..." the brunette stood silent, staring at where he had disappeared. She moved her a fist to her chest, a strange feeling inside her body. "This feeling...What is it...?" she thought for a few moments, then her cheeks flushed warmer. "...It...It can't be..."

**END**

**How will Ash and Leaf act around each other after this?  
>What are the next battle match-ups?<br>**

**ANNOUNCEMENT: I am sorry, readers. I was first thinking of making it AshxMay along with hints of AshxDawn and AshxLeaf, which was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, but now I am absolutely not sure. I have fans for pearl-, advance- and furthershipping, and I know I can't please everyone. I apologize now for stringing you along on the final shipping, but I can't decide! Also, reviewing a threat or yelling at me for a certain pick will not help my decision, thank you. How I decide the final shipping is my decision, which doesn't make me feel better, but I promise one will be chosen by the end of the month. Thank you for your time, and I thank you for your support with my stories. It means a lot to me, and that's something I don't often say.  
><strong>


	39. Chapter 39

**Been a while, I know, a few weeks or something. I didn't plan on waiting that long, but I also had difficulty thinking of material for this chapter. Whether you're disappointed or not, I will make it clear on which shipping I chose for the final decision. Again, I am ****truly sorry**** to everyone for dragging you along. READ THE NOTE AT THE END.  
><strong>

"We _still_ can't find him!" Max shouted, running his hands through his hair in anger.

"Max, you have dragged us across the _entire_ Pokemon League now," Misty sighed, glaring at the boy. "Out of all of us, _you_ can't complain."

"I've done more searching than any of you," Max replied, crossing his arms with a frown. "I may have dragged you everywhere, but at least those were places he could have been."

"He has a point," the redhead turned her head with a huff. "But still, we actually have searched in every place nearby."

"Indeed, you are right," Grimsley told the boy, nodding. "We have searched all over, and there is still no sign of him."

"I am really drawing a blank here," Hilda rubbed the back of her neck, focusing her eyes on the dirt path.

"Wait," Hilbert held his hand up, his head low and eyes closed.

"...What is it?" Zo whispered.

"Ssh!" she puffed her cheeks out, giving the cap-wearing boy a glare. "...I'm getting something..." his eyes snapped open, smacking his palm against his forehead.

"What?" Hilda asked, looking oddly at him. "What is it?"

"We forgot the lake."

"Oh, _wow_..." Max smacked his forehead.

"I can't believe this..." Misty held his head low, shaking his head in disappointment.

"We better get going, he's probably still there," Marshal stated, everyone nodded and headed outside. Hilbert and Hilda followed with the group, then felt themselves pulled back.

"What's up, Zo?" Hilbert asked, looking oddly at the girl.

"Being Ash's pokemon, I've gained a sense on him. And I can tell he's not there anymore..."

* * *

><p>"What happened to you?" Paul asked, but he got no response. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, looking beside him at the raven-haired trainer. He was walking with his head low, staring at the ground as he walked through the trees. "...It was lucky I even managed to find you, you know your friends are looking all over the place for you..." no response. "...If you won't answer me, I guess I'll have to call the Elites." Ash remained silent, surprising the emotionless trainer. "...Wow, thought that would have got you...You must have had the worst experience, whatever it was..."<p>

"..." Paul looked away, thinking of possibilities to make the trainer talk. Unfortunately, it would be difficult. As they neared the end of the trees, leaves rustled nearby. He looked over, thinking it was someone spying or listening in on them, but he simply moved along with Ash. Soon enough, they were back at the plaza and Ash silently walked inside. Paul debated whether or not to follow him, knowing it was useless to speak to him, but decided to anyway. The doors closing behind him, he noticed Ash by the battle board, moving beside him.

"So...Seriously, what's wrong?" Ash didn't reply, only staring at the various names listed. Paul looked down the list. "It's not like you to be this silent...Silent, yes, but this much...No..."

"...Caitlin, 8 AM..." Paul shook his head, knowing his only words were information on his battle.

"Hey, isn't this Leaf girl your friend? Turns out she's battling same time as you," Paul told him, but he seemed to rush away. As he moved away, he was stopped by the nurse.

"You look troubled, what's wrong?" she asked, arms behind her back with a smile. Paul shook his head.

"There's no point, he won't say a thing," he told her, the nurse giving Ash a confused look.

"Why? What happened?" she asked, the trainer keeping silent. "...Alright, how are you feeling right now?" a few moments passed as nothing happened, then Ash's face started to turn red. "...Oh, I see..."

"What's wrong with him?" Paul asked, his eyebrow arched at the woman.

"It's something embarrassing," Paul looked oddly at the raven-haired trainer, then noticed his face had heated up. "...Well, that could be just about anything."

"Well, let's narrow this down. He was alone."

"He was down north somewhere, past Victory Road."

"His friends have been looking for him for quite a while now."

"...Then...They realized that one girl had disappeared..."

"Which girl?"

"Brown hair, the one that usually wears a hat."

"You're sure? If it's a hat, then that would be Miss Leaf."

"Leaf, huh? She's the one the Elites are targeting the most...Plus I overheard Elite Member Caitlin talking to herself about her..."

"So, what happened with-" Paul stopped, noticing he was gone. The nurse and trainer looked around. "...Where did he go?"

* * *

><p>"Stupid Paul..." Ash muttered, shaking his head with a sigh. Moving through the trees, he moved into the campsite.<p>

"_Pikapi?_" the mouse questioned, its voice coming from inside the tent.

"Thanks for listening and actually coming here, Pi," Ash told the electric-type.

"_Umbre!_" the dark-type added, whose voice also came from inside the tent. Ash looked oddly at the tent.

"What's wrong?" the trainer suddenly felt something up his spine, a mysterious feeling in the air. "...This is an ambush, isn't it?"

"Not at all."

* * *

><p>"This can't be happening!" Max shouted, running his hands through his hair in anger.<p>

"You said it," Misty added with a sigh.

"Why is it...That no matter how hard we look...We just can't..._Find him_!" Dawn screamed in frustration.

"He is a very tricky one," Shauntal stated, a pen in her hand. "If I can ask him how to hide like he is, I could get great inspiration!"

"Now is not the time," Marshal told the woman, crossing his arms. "If he is not here, then he must be on the move."

"So, he's back up at the plaza again?" Max asked, his eyes wide as he looked at the fighting-type trainer. "So we just _walked_ all the way here, for _no reason_?"

"...It appears so."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe this worked!" Hilda said excitedly, clasping her hands together with a bright smile. Ash frowned with a sigh, his back held against the tree by a strong rope around his chest.<p>

"You three are psychotic, you know that?" the three shrugged.

"At least we're not using a dangerous dragon to hunt you down," Hilbert told him, arms behind his head with a smirk. Ash shrugged. "Besides, we'll let you go when you tell us what we want to know."

"And that's going to be stupid, right?" he asked, looking expectantly at the trio.

"Eh," Zo shrugged her shoulders with a sly smile.

"What is it, then?" Ash rolled his eyes, bashing his head lightly against the tree repeatedly.

"What happened with you and Leaf?"

"..."

"We're not cutting the ropes until you say," Hilda told him, crossing her arms. His head fell forward.

"Anytime now..." Hilbert said casually, tapping his toes on the dirt. Ash remained silent, the three looked at each other with a nod.

"Alright, let him go." Ash looked surprised as Hilda and Hilbert began untying the ropes, dropping to the ground. He got to his feet, then the pair securely held his shoulders. He watched Zo move into the tent, then a glow of red was seen through the gap. As she came back out, he looked at her surprised as he felt heat rise to his face. Zo stood in front of him, changed into the form of Leaf.

"Hi, Ash," she said sweetly, holding her hands behind her back innocently and leaning forward slightly.

"...Low..." he muttered under his breath, glaring at Hilbert.

"Don't look at me, it was actually Hilda," he told him, smirking. He changed his look from Hilbert to Hilda.

"Pfft, as if," she said plainly, looking away with an innocent whistle.

"Come on, Ash, do you forget our little moment already?" Zo asked, poking out her lower lip.

"What makes you think something happened between us, anyway?" Ash asked.

"Seems the most likely," Hilbert responded. "Besides, I saw your reaction just now."

"Yeah, Ash, you seemed to _blush_ when you saw me," Zo said sweetly. "Is that because of our little moment earlier?"

"Nothing happened, there's no point to any of this," Ash told them, closing his eyes and looking away slightly. "Can I go now?"

"How could you have forgotten already? I thought it was special," she blinked rapidly, her eyelids batting away.

"Zo, if you let me go, I will use you in the next battle in the tournament," Zo's froze, staring at him intently.

"Zo, don't get off-track. We need this," Hilda stated, looking sternly at her.

"Come on, you know Ash won't do it," Hilbert told her.

"I give you my word, I will use you in the next battle," Ash said, his lips curling into a smirk.

"...I can battle...Finally...?" she asked, her tone hopeful as she suddenly smiled.

"No, you're _not_ ruining this!" Hilbert told her, stepping between the two.

"Come on, Zo, you know you can trust me," Ash told her. Zo bit her lip, frowning as she looked between Ash and the pair.

"...I..." her head began turning faster, unable to make a decision.

"I'll let you be in _every_ battle."

"We'll give you your favorite pokemon food!"

"That's my offer."

"We'll take you shopping as long as you want!"

"Come on, Zo, which do you want?"

"...I...I don't...I want...!" she began biting her nails, thoughts clouding her mind as she tried to decide between the two. Her friend and trainer, or regular friends?

"I might close the deal any second, Zo..." Ash said tauntingly, smirking as he held up five fingers. He put two down. "When is it going to hit zero?" Zo watched him taunt her dangerously, changing the number of his fingers repeatedly.

"You can trust us, Zo," Ash held up two fingers.

"We'll keep our word, I swear!" four fingers.

"We promise! Please pick us!" one finger.

"We'll throw in a free beating on Hilbert!" five fingers.

"Yeah! Wait, what?" one finger.

"It's going down..." he slowly began to put his finger down.

"No! Wait!" Zo said alarmingly, reaching and grabbing his hand. She extended his finger, holding it up. "...Give me more time!"

"No," she struggled to hold his finger up, but he was stronger than she was. In physical terms, anyway, definitely not in battling.

"Zo, please!"

"Alright, alright!" she stepped back, holding her head. She began breathing faster, then took a deep breath. "...I'm sorry..."

"What!" Hilda gasped, holding her arms out in confusion. "You traitor!"

"...I'm staying with you two."

"...Oh...Cool..."

"Are you _sure_, Zo?" Ash asked, arching an eyebrow. She nodded, smiling.

"Besides, I don't want you to forget our time together," she said tauntingly, batting her eyelashes again.

"...Guess I can't trust you..." he looked oddly at the ground. The trio looked at each other, confused, then felt the ground begin to shake. "...Unlike him..."

"What's going on?" Hilbert asked, holding his balance. However, some were unlucky.

"Ow!" Zo and Hilda cried simultaneously, their backs hitting the ground. Ash smirked, stomping the ground and stepping back.

"I told you not to mess with me," he told them, then a figure suddenly burst from the ground in front of him. They froze, seeing the large red crocodile standing beside him with a menacing expression.

"...How...?" Hilda backed up slowly, until she hit a tree.

"You may have found a way around Pikachu, but he's smarter than you. He always finds a clever way out of these situations, so I only worried about buying him some time until he could get help," he crossed his arms, smirking.

"Told you we should have held his backpack..." Hilbert whispered, frowning.

"I forgot his pokeballs were in it..." Zo said sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.

"How do you _forget_ that? Where else would he keep them?" he asked, looking strangely at the girl.

"Anyway, I've got to rest for my battle tomorrow," he told them, leaning against a tree and sliding to the ground. Pikachu rolled out of the tent, a small rope around its body concealing its arms.

"_Pikapi_!"

"Oh, sorry," he untied the rodent, spreading a smile across his face. He looked in the tent to see Umbreon tied as well, so he untied the ropes. "Where's Espeon?"

"_Umbre_," the dark-type nodded its head while looking at a pokeball on the ground.

"Taking a nap?" they nodded. "Alright, that's just fine. You can stay out and sleep if you want, as long as you get rest," the dark-type nodded, hurrying out of the tent and jumping at Ash's feet. "Easy, easy."

"So, uh...I'm gonna go...Now..." Zo whispered, quietly tiptoeing away.

"Hold it," she froze. "I didn't say you could stay out."

"Wait, what?" she turned to him, eyes open in surprise. He held the pokeball, the red beam hitting the girl. "Noo!" her voice faded away as she was absorbed into the sphere.

"Drama queen," he muttered, shaking his head as he leaned back against the tree. Hilda and Hilbert stood in silence, looking at each other in confusion. They watched him close his eyes, then decided to leave quietly.

"Before he realizes..." Hilbert whispered, moving very slowly.

"Don't worry, I didn't forget you," they froze, then felt the ground shake. Turning around, they noticed the crocodile had disappeared, only leaving the three humans, two pokemon and a hole.

"Oh, no..."

"It's whack-a-drilbur, the other way around!"

* * *

><p>The next morning, the sun lifted higher into the sky slowly and silently. Ash stretched his arms, giving a yawn before looking around. "Wha...?" he looked down, seeing Pikachu curled up on his legs and Umbreon's head resting against his torso. He smiled. "Come on, you two...Time to wake up..." the two pokemon moved slowly, stretching their limbs with a yawn.<p>

"_Pi...Chu..._?" the mouse asked in native tongue.

"We've got a battle soon," the mouse looked at him, then nodded and hopped off. Umbreon lifted its head from the leaning position, its head falling the opposite way and bouncing off the grass. "That looked nice, come on, sleepyhead," he chuckled, getting to his feet. He twisted his back, earning a few cracks before looking oddly at the hole in front of him. "...Oh, right. Wonder how those three got along...?" he looked around, not seeing a sign of them.

"_Umbre_?" the dark-type asked, finally getting to its feet.

"Nothing to worry about," he assured the pokemon, the two nodding. "Alright, let's pick a team and get ready."

"_Chupi kachu_?"

"I am not dense, Pi, picking a team slipped my mind the other day."

* * *

><p>"Finally...Escaped..." Hilda panted, hands on her knees to support herself.<p>

"You need to work out more," she glared at Hilbert, who was leaning against the wall with his breath at regular pace. "You think this is difficult? At least he can't see digging underground, instead of flying overhead. Always watching you, letting you feel safe...Then bam!"

"Shut up," she muttered, standing straight again. "...Alright...How did we lose him, anyway?"

"Pure concrete," Hilbert stomped the ground, smirking. Suddenly, the ground began to shake.

"...Moron..."

"At least he can't just burn the concrete easily...Making you feel-"

"Enough with the Charizard references!"

* * *

><p>"Alright, team picked and ready...Wonder how this trainer battles...?" he stopped, pondering to himself. "...Come to think of it...I didn't even check the name..."<p>

"_Kachu_," the mouse smacked its palm against its forehead, shaking its head.

"Way to be supportive, Pi. We'll win for sure," he spoke in an unenthusiastic tone, as if mocking himself. He still smiled, however, as he found it funny. "One more step in this competition."

"_Kachu pika chupi_?" the mouse asked him.

"Zo will be fine. Besides, I left Charizard out in case she decided to try her luck," the mouse nodded, frowning in condolence for the fellow team member. He put a paw to his forehead, looking into the sky. "That's a little dramatic, buddy," the mouse shrugged, smiling as they arrived at the battlefield. "Alright...Where's this trainer...?"

"Mr. Ketchum," he looked at the ref, who was moving towards him. "You have given an impressive performance so far in this tournament, best of luck."

"Thanks, appreciate it," he smiled with a nod, the ref returning to his position on the field. "...Nice guy..."

"Ash!" he turned around, confused to see Leaf leaning around the corner waving him over. He wondered as he moved towards her.

"Oh, right, Paul said she battled now...So she won't watch me, must be a luck-wishing thing..." he glanced back, oddly enough there was no one near him. "Huh..."

"Thanks for seeing me," she whispered, looking around.

"Anyone find you?" Ash asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Caitlin has caught me a few times, yes," she replied, sounding just a _little_ nervous. "Anyway, that's not why I called you."

"Why, then?" he inquired, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Well...I...I wanted to say something...About earlier..." she said nervously, her arms fidgeting behind her back as she looked away.

"What do- Oh..." he caught on, his face heating up as he realized what she meant. Her face was also burning, still not looking at him. "...About that, there's no need to...Say anything...We can forget it ever happened, okay?"

"That's it...I...I just can't..." he looked at her oddly, wondering what was going through her mind. "...I'm not _glad_ it happened, believe me, it was the most embarrassing thing in my life..."

"I understand that...Same here..." he replied simply, looking away to avoid eye contact with her. Especially on this topic.

"But...I just...Thinking back on it, it was just an accident...Right?" she asked uncomfortably.

"...Yeah, of course, I was only playing tag," he shrugged, answering honestly.

"Well...What I mean to say..." she began shifting again, the boy watching her in both amusement and sympathy. "...That...That I..."

"Come on, I will understand whatever you say right now. As long as you get it out and stop worrying," he told her, giving a smile.

"Well...I..." _"Come on already! It's not that hard, just say it!"_ her mind fought itself inside her as her will debated with her thoughts. "_Do it!"_

"You alright?" he asked, looking at her more closely. She looked away, biting her lip while fidgeting. Her thoughts mixed, unable to understand one full idea.

"I...I..."

"You know, we can do this anytime, you know. If you need some time for...Whatever it is, I'll be battling. You have a battle too, so you shouldn't get worked up or distracted," he told her, turning away to return to his battlefield. "Call me later when you're better." she watched him move away, her heart beating rapidly.

"...Ah, screw it!" she hurried after him, tapping his shoulder. He turned around, surprised to see her push her lips against his. He stared at her in disbelief, a warm feeling spreading through his body. His mind clouded with thoughts, his eyes slowly closing subconsciously. Leaf felt a pair of hands snake around her waist, she moved her hands and linked them around his neck. The two parted slowly after almost a minute, breathing deeply while staring into each others eyes. "...Ash..."

"...Is that what you wanted to say?" she smiled, giggling while wondering whether he was serious or not.

"...Good luck, Ash," she stepped back, turning her body. She took a step away, then turned back and winked. "...We'll meet in the finals, 'kay?"

"Like I promised when we were kids," he smiled, giving a nod. She smiled again, her cheeks turning pink before hurrying away.

"_After all these years...He actually remembered..._" feeling beyond happy with herself, her heart felt warm as she hurried towards her own battle. Ash smiled to himself, walking towards his own battlefield. Both were feeling similar emotions, with the same thoughts.

They couldn't break that promise.

**END**

_**Waaaaaaaaaayyy**_** too fluffy for me. I can't believe this is mine. Alright, few notes:**

**1) **_**I AM SORRY**_**. I intended on advanceshipping, but I spent a lot of time reading over the many reviews on this story. A lot of recents gave me the truth, I have set this story up the best for these two, and it seemed a little too far to shoot down. I realize now I have lost a lot of fans, maybe broke some hearts and spirits, but I promise I will keep up my work on other and future stories. On top of that, check out my other stories! Not as great as this, but can't blame a guy for trying!**

**2) _THANK YOU_. I am truly grateful for your continuing support in my stories, which I am both surprised at and concerned for your mental health. Without you, I would never have the will to continue these stories. Strange enough, I only joined this site to review on other stories. I just felt like leaving a few things up, then I started getting positive feedback and...Well, I was being pushed forward. I realize now a lot of you are going to be extremely angry at me for this chapter, but I'm afraid I can't please everyone. I might write another competition story in another shipping, or maybe think of a whole better storyline. Who knows.**

**3) _PLEASE DON'T_ _FLAME_. Honestly, no one likes when you rip on them. Appreciated and honored, thank you.  
><strong>

**4) I understand completely and wholeheartedly if you discontinue reading this story. No reporting, no flaming, no trashing, no hurting.  
>As of now, this story is full-supported furthershipping. I will continue hints of advance- and pearlshipping, but they will not develop, unfortunately.<br>**

**One final time, I apologize for the inconvenience.  
><strong>


	40. Chapter 40

**For advanceshipping fans still reading: I plan on many more AshxMay stories, so I will continue to post those as I strongly support them. Furthershipping was kind of a spur for me, but it's still kinda cute. I feel like such a chick for saying that, but it's the truth. **

"Dig!"

"Nidoqueen, Earth Power!" Leaf commanded, smiling to herself. "_...I can't believe I finally did it..._"

* * *

><p>"Use Brine!"<p>

"Gigalith, Flash Cannon," Ash said calmly, the beam of steel energy exploding on contact with the opposing walrus, flipping it onto its back in a knockout.

"Walrein is unable to battle!" the ref announced, raising his flag towards Ash. The trainer stood with a smile, watching the female trainer recall her pokemon and release another.

"Up for more, Gigalith?" the figure of boulders looked back at him with a nod. "_...It's finally done..."_

* * *

><p>"Huh?" Hilbert's back suddenly straightened, his body frozen.<p>

"What?" Hilda asked, looking oddly at him. The crocodile opposing them scratched its chin, wondering what the humans were thinking.

"I just got a feeling...Ash did something..." he replied, his lips curling into a grin. "...It's dangerous, but we can't just leave it..."

* * *

><p>"Heatmor is unable to battle! Ash Ketchum and Gigalith are the winners!" the ref called out, the trainer nodding with a smile. He recalled the rock-type, moving to the middle of the field and meeting the female trainer.<p>

"Good battle," Ash told her, holding his hand out. The girl smiled, taking her hand into his.

"Thanks, I'll never forget it," she said sweetly, then pulled him into a sudden embrace. Ash stood surprised as the girl pulled back, giggling to herself as she hurried away. He blinked, shaking his head with a light sigh as he walked out of the arena.

"What battlefield is he on?" he heard a familiar voice ask, turning his head towards the source.

"It was the Shauntal Arena," Alarmed, he hurried behind the statue in the center, watching the group move into the arena he had left. He sighed.

"Will this day end...?"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you never thought of that," Hilda sighed, glaring at the male beside her. His arms behind his head, he shrugged with an innocent look.<p>

"I didn't know threatening to take his glasses would crack him," he replied, stepping through the trees into the campsite. "I would never mess with his glasses."

"Sometimes you have to put on your man pants," she told him, smirking while looking at him.

"Because you have man pants..." he muttered to himself, moving towards the tent. He fell to his chest, the side of his face hitting the ground. He glared back at the girl, who was whistling innocently. "...Hey, wait. Isn't Zo still in her pokeball?"

"...Hey, yeah," Hilda responded, looking at the tent. She pulled open the flap, smiling as she saw Ash's backpack sitting on the ground. Pikachu was sleeping beside the bag, snoring lightly. She carefully reached for the backpack, freezing as Pikachu's tail moved and fell onto her hand. The mouse slowly opened its eyes, looking curiously at the girl. "Hey, Pikachu, sorry to wake you. You can go back to sleep, this is nothing important," she told the mouse, but he shook his head.

"He's not stupid, Hilda," Hilbert told her, the mouse nodding in agreement.

"Wait, didn't you win a bet against Zo?" the mouse thought for a moment, then nodded. "Why don't you get your prize from her now? Everyone is gone, so you can make her do anything embarrassing you want here," she told the rodent. The electric-type looked at the ground in thought, considering the offer.

"He's never going to take it," Hilbert whispered, shaking his head with a smirk.

"_Pika_," the mouse nodded, the girl smiling.

"Thank you, Pikachu. You're the best," the mouse smiled, stretching before opening the backpack. Finding a certain pokeball, the mouse opened it and released the pokemon in human form.

"So you finally feel sorry?" Zo asked, looking around confused. "Wait...Where is he?"

"He's off battling, we let you out," Hilda told her, crossing her arms. "We wanted your company."

"Why?" Zo asked, looking expectantly at her. "This better not be some sort of trap because I betrayed him."

"It isn't, don't worry," Hilbert assured her, giving a smile. "I got a feeling something happened with Ash, and I felt you should know."

"What do you mean, feeling?" she asked.

"Like a sensation, this weird creepy feeling I got a few minutes ago. It's like...Ash finally did something with one of those girls, or something," he shrugged.

"I got my bets on Leaf," she gave a yawn, stretching her arms. "It's so cramped in there...Anyway, I'm gonna find Ash and talk with him."

"Why?" Hilda asked.

"First, he locked me in a tiny sphere without my opinion. Second, you expect me to stay here after telling me about this _feeling_ of yours?" she arched an eyebrow, looking at them before disappearing through the brush. The two looked at each other oddly.

"...I guess we should have seen that coming," Hilbert admitted, the girl nodding.

"_Pika!_" the pair looked at Pikachu, who stood with his arms crossed.

"...Oh, right, your bet. We'll bring her back, we promise."

* * *

><p>"Man, this guy..." Ash muttered, giving a sigh.<p>

"You can't hide forever!" he cringed, not bothering to look back before sprinting to the next corner. Hurrying around, he peered back to see Paul looking around with his arms crossed. "I'll figure out your secret! You can't keep it from everyone!"

"Watch me," Ash told himself, smirking before continuing through the nearest doorway. Looking ahead, he noticed a small crowd parting and disappearing through the exit, blocking Paul's view of the trainer. As the people moved around, he was barely able to see through at the girl and boy trainers on the field. They shook hands, then the boy left for the exit. The girl turned to leave, then stopped as she saw Ash. She smiled, hurrying over towards him.

"Hey!" she greeted, beaming.

"Hey," he replied plainly, hands in his pockets. "So how did your battle go?"

"I won, of course," she stated proudly, putting her hands on her hips and pumping out her chest. "It's the only way I know how."

"Under me," he told her, smiling. She frowned, puffing out her cheeks.

"That might have been our promise, but I can beat you easily," she said playfully, poking her tongue out.

"I sure won't make it easy for you, we can agree on that," he replied, turning away. As he started to walk, she followed closely beside him so their arms were grazing each others.

"Ash, I want you to tell me something," he glanced down at her, who was looking up at him expectantly with a smile.

"...Alright," he beckoned with a nod, waiting for her question. She remained silent with a smile, confusing the trainer until they reached the trees, passing through and entering the campsite. "...So, did I miss your question or something?"

"What do you think of me?" he cringed, mentally cursing himself for agreeing. She gave an expectant puppy-dog look, the trainer giving a quiet sigh turning his head and looking away.

"...Well...You're a great friend," she frowned.

"Come on, I know you have more nice things to say about me," she said sweetly.

"I do, it just won't end well when the words get around," he told her, frowning at the thought of his friends.

"Aww, it will only be between us," she grabbed his arm, smiling as she held herself close to him. "You can tell me."

"Sorry, but maybe when I know Hilbert or Zo will be gone for a long time," he replied, the girl frowning again. "And shouldn't I be asking you the same thing?"

"I think that's pretty obvious, from what happened earlier," she giggled, smiling as both their cheeks flashed pink.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that..." he sighed lightly, rubbing his forehead with his free arm.

"Don't be silly, it's just like when we were kids," she told him, smiling.

"Except this time, it's actually serious and not just a game," he told her, frowning. "It didn't matter back then, we were just kids. No one takes something like this seriously at that age."

"I did, because it was with you," she stated, batting her eyelashes. "Besides, I know you still feel the same way, even after all these years."

"You can't possibly know, 'cause I don't know myself," he sighed, the girl releasing his arm from her hold. "Look, Leaf...You were _and_ are one of my best friends, and we did have feelings for each other as kids...But now, feelings are a whole different thing, not just a game," he explained, frowning as he crossed his arms.

"What are you trying to say, Ash?" she asked, looking confused at him.

"Don't do the puppy eyes," she frowned, poking out her lower lip. "I'm not saying I don't feel anything, but...I can't tell if they're as strong..."

"So you're saying you don't like me back, even after we _kissed_?" his face heated up, looking away in embarrassment. "I won't force you to say it, Ash. Just know something."

"What is it?" he asked, surprised as the girl took him into an embrace.

"I'll never give up on you, silly," she said playfully, pulling back and smiling. Stretching on her tip-toes, she pecked him on the cheek before running away laughing. The raven-haired trainer sighed to himself, smiling.

* * *

><p>"So where is he?" Max asked, giving a sigh as he leaned against the statue's base.<p>

"We didn't reach his battle in time, so he must be training somewhere," Brock stated, crossing his arms.

"So he's in one of Marshal's spots we checked a half-hour ago?" Max asked quizzically.

"Maybe not in those places, but anywhere," Iris added. "He could be basically anywhere."

"I bet he's at his campsite again, he always goes there after a battle," Dawn stated proudly, smiling.

"What do you mean, after _every_ battle?" Misty asked, looking oddly at the girl.

"I see him every now and then."

"You _stalk_ him."

"It's not stalking, it's friendly following."

"You need to learn about synonyms..."

"Hmm? Anyway, I'm going to look for him!"

"See ya," Max said lazily, waving his wrist as the blunette ran off. Hearing a collision and thumping around the corner, they were surprised to hear Dawn shriek.

"Paul! I've been looking all over for you!" the trainer moved around the corner, moving his hands to his ears and lowering them again. The blunette walked beside him talking hyper-actively, beaming as she followed him. He passed the group by the statue, everyone but Dawn noticing a small paste-like substance in his ears.

"Were those...?"

"Earplugs. He's finally learning."

* * *

><p>"Alright, so we couldn't find him..." Zo sighed, crossing her arms behind her head. Feeling a slap on her arm, she lowered them again and glared at the man.<p>

"Don't look at me like that, you know it's my signature move," he told her, arms behind his head. "Besides, why did you give up on finding Ash so easily?"

"Eh, tired," she shrugged, the two giving a sigh as they pushed through the last bushes.

"Hey, do you think he'll be down at the lake?" Hilbert asked. "It's either here or there."

"Well, obviously not here...Alright, let's go," Hilda said, the pokemon giving a sigh.

"Can we at least use your pokemon? My legs are tired," she complained, the pair giving her an odd look. "...What?"

"...You're a zorua. You can transform." they said simultaneously.

"Oh, right!" Hilbert face-palmed, Hilda shaking her head. Zo rubbed the back of her head, smiling sheepishly. "Alright, I just want to catch up with Espeon and Umbreon a little." she turned towards the tent, giving a strange look as she noticed something. "Wait...Did we leave the backpack outside?"

"What?" Zo pointed to the tent, where Ash's backpack rested against the side on the grass. "...Huh."

"We must have," Hilbert shrugged. Zo stared at it for a moment, then shrugged.

"Whatever," she rummaged through the bag, pulling out two pokeballs before smiling to the pair. "Alright, let's go!" she sprinted through the trees, confusing the two.

"Wait, wasn't she just complaining about her legs hurting?" Hilbert asked, the girl giving a sigh.

"Who knows anymore," the pair hurried after her, leaving the campsite empty. But with a yawn, Ash pulled open the flap of the tents, looking around with sleepy eyes.

"...Huh, imagining things," he yawned again, closing the tent and returning to his slumber.

* * *

><p>"Alright, alright," Hilbert sighed, dropping to his knees. The psychic-type immediately jumped him, licking his cheek with a smile. "You really are too playful for your own good."<p>

"It's just so adorable, though," he glared at Hilda, who sat against a tree a few feet away with a sly smile. "You would be so great with kids."

"Is that finally a proposal?" Hilda's cheeks burned hotter than a tomato berry, looking angrily at Zo. "What? Just saying."

"Shut up, Zo! That will never happen!" she shouted, the man only sighing to himself.

"Pfft, yeah right. What do you think, Umbreon?" Zo asked, lying on her stomach with the dark-type lying beside her.

"_Umbreon umbre!_" the pokemon shook its head.

"I agree, they are totally lying about it," she laughed with the eeveelution, Hilda burning with embarrassment and anger, the man only lying on his back while the psychic-type _cleaned_ his face.

"_Umbreon, breon umbre_," the dark-type spoke, Hilda and Hilbert ignoring it thinking it was only another insult.

"Wait, what?" Zo looked oddly at the pokemon. "What do you mean, 'like Ash a little while ago'?" this caught the two humans' attention, looking at the pair. "You know a secret Ash is keeping?"

"_Breon umbreon, umbre_," the eeveelution said, tilting its head with a confused look.

"Wait, when was he completely silent? I don't remember this," Zo tapped her chin, thinking. Hilbert's eyes widened, jumping to his feet while surprising Espeon.

"_You_ know why he was like that?" he asked quizzically, dropping to his knees in front of the dark-type. "Please, tell me! I have to know!"

"When was he silent?" Zo asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Paul was following him a little while ago, he said he found Ash completely silent...Out around here, actually. Apparently he never said a word to anyone until we ambushed him," Hilbert explained, the two girls nodding.

"So, Umbreon knows why he was like that?" Hilda asked, crawling to beside the pokemon with a smile. "We're all friends here, so why not tell us?"

"_Umbre..._" the pokemon looked curiously at each of them, pondering whether to tell or not.

"Come on, Umbreon, we'll play with you for a week," the dark-type looked expectantly at Hilbert. "...Alright, two weeks."

"Forget that, I'll play for a _month_ if you tell me," the dark-type eyes lit up, looking admiringly at Hilda.

"As if you understand how a pokemon feels when playing! I know exactly how it feels to play and I know it's the greatest feeling, besides battling, of course, and I'll play with you in the form of any pokemon you want!" the eeveelution tapped its paws into the ground repeatedly, having difficulty in deciding.

"_Bre..._" Umbreon looked between the three of them repeatedly, its eyes moving quickly.

"I'll throw in extra pokemon food!"

"You're using the same things as your bribes to Zo! I'll take you shopping for anything you want!"

"So are you!"

"Come on, we're both pokemon, we can work this out," Zo whispered, smiling warmly. "How about if I keep this from those two?" the dark-type looked curiously into her eyes, then smiled.

"_Umbre!_" the two humans bickered, then heard a quiet voice. They looked at Umbreon, who was whispering into Zo's ear, her eyes wide and mouth agape.

"This is the _greatest_ news I have _ever_ heard..."

**END**

**When will Ash admit his reciprocation of Leaf's feelings?  
>What does Pikachu plan for Zo, in account for winning the bet?<br>Will Paul evade Dawn or continue to block her out?  
>Which two friends will battle each other next? Who will be knocked out of the tournament?<strong>

**R&R for opinions.**


	41. Chapter 41

**I have updated chapter 3 to correspond with this chapter, so I suggest going back and reading that before this. Sorry for making you go back and forth, I'm trying to put good material and mesh it together.**

"It starts with me going into the center...Then I talk with Nurse Joy, and leave...That's where someone runs into me," Ash muttered to himself, looking around as he stepped out of the automatic doors. "...Any second now...I can feel it..." looking behind him, he saw May freeze, looking at him like being caught in headlights.

"Aww," she pouted, poking out her lower lip with a frown. "I finally found you, but I couldn't surprise you."

"I can't be surprised, my senses are too strong," Ash replied, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The brunette raised an eyebrow, then Ash recalled the events regarding Leaf and the lake. His face heated up, looking away. "...Okay, so maybe..._Sometimes_, things take me without notice..."

"That sounds more like you," she giggled, smiling. Holding her hands behind her back, she looked at him with a gleeful expression. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"Maybe later, I have to take care of my pokemon for a bit," he started for the trees, but the brunette suddenly tugged his arm back.

"Come on, you've had five years alone with your pokemon!" the trainer sighed, knowing nothing he said could counter that. "Just a few minutes with me, is that too much to ask?"

"_You have no idea..._" he thought, mentally sighing as he followed the beaming girl down the path. They walked in silence for a few seconds, hoping the other would start a conversation. Having enough, the brunette cleared her throat and looked at the raven-haired trainer.

"So...uh...You remember the little gift in your room, right?"

* * *

><p>"Zo, tell me!" Hilbert pleaded, feeling himself dragged across the grass.<p>

"I said no! Now let go of me!" the girl shouted at him, trying to lift her foot.

"You know he won't let go unless you tell him," Hilda told her, arms crossed and shaking her head. "Why don't you just say?"

"Because this is, by far, the best dirt I've gotten on Ash ever! Not to sound selfish, but is it too much to ask for being the only one knowing a special secret and teasing Ash about it?" Zo asked, Hilda giving her an odd look.

"It is selfish! For the sake of Arceus, share! Let others have fun, too!" Hilbert pleaded, grunting as his stomach dragged across a rock.

"Hurt, didn't it?"

"A little..."

"Why not just let go? I'm not saying."

"Because you will say! It's always how these things go!"

"What do you mean?"

"You go to tease him first, can't find him, then end up slipping to someone else."

"When has this happened?"

"At least two times before. Plus two years ago, with that stuff about Ash and that hot trainer who gave him her number."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot about that! That was hilarious, do you remember his face?"

"So you _admit_ to thinking she was hot!"

"Oh...I forgot I was fighting with you over that..."

"Don't worry about it, her jealousy wears off after a few minutes."

* * *

><p>"What gift?" Ash asked, looking ahead. The brunette looked at him with a sly smile.<p>

"You don't have to deny it, I know what the ring was for," she told him, the trainer not responding. "Come on, what can I do to convince you that I know about it?"

"The only thing that comes to my mind...I guess show me a picture or something," he shrugged, smirking. The brunette tapped her chin, looking at the ground.

"...I don't think I ever took a picture..." she stated in a sad tone, her arms falling to her side. Her eyes suddenly widened, she stopped. The trainer looked oddly at her. "Ohmygosh, but I have something _better_!"

"What?" he blinked, watching the brunette nearly disappear in a split-second. He blinked again, shaking his head with a sigh.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we gave up..." Max sighed, arms stretched out to his sides on the bed. "...Are we getting lazy?"<p>

"No, it's just...Maybe a little," Misty told him, frowning.

"Is Dawn still following Paul?" the young boy asked, staring at the ceiling.

"She's not back yet, so she must be," Brock told him, his eyes being drawn to something through the window. Moving closer, he noticed the trainer and blunette moving through the central area. "...Yep."

"Will she ever give up?" he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Would you like to bet on that, Max?"

"No way, Cilan. Never."

"And don't even ask me next."

"My ways are known in this group...Maybe Hilbert," he thought out loud, disappearing through the door and closing it behind him.

"...Did he seriously go to bet with Hilbert?"

"Either that, or he's using connoisseur language with Iris not around."

"As if I would let that happen! See you later!"

"Now there goes Iris...That only leaves Max, Brock and Misty..." Max muttered, suddenly the door burst open. He jumped up, falling off the side of the bed. "Ow! What are you doing!"

"No time! I gotta find my clothes!" May said quickly, yanking open drawers and searching in seconds.

"Maybe you're wearing them, genius," Max mumbled, glaring at the brunette as he moved back onto the bed. "Besides, what's so important about your clothes?" the brunette ignored him, however, as she continued to search every inch of the room. Suddenly giving a happy squeal, she held up her old green shorts and rummaged through the pockets.

"Yes! It's still here!" she beamed, smiling victoriously and laughing as she darted out of the room again, dropping the shorts to the floor. The boy blinked, unsure of what had happened.

* * *

><p>"Three...Two...One..." Ash looked around, giving a quiet sigh. "...I'm sure I'll get better..."<p>

"Ash!" he looked at the brunette dashing towards him, stopping in front of him and panting. Holding her knees, she breathed heavily while he looked down at her oddly. "I...I found...it...!"

"What's so important that you would want to burst your lungs for it?" he asked, the brunette looking up at him.

"...It's not a picture...But..." she smiled, holding her hand out. His eyes widened, an expression of shock and horror as he looked at the object in her hand. A small white box. "...Believe me now?"

"...Damn..." he muttered, giving a sigh as he took the box from her hand. Opening it, he noticed the same gold sapphire-encrusted ring from his childhood. He closed it again, looking at the smiling girl. "So you know about it, after all."

"Yes, and now I want answers about it," the trainer closed his eyes, scratching the back of his head. "First, did you really pay with your own money?"

"I've entered in the regional pokemon league of each region and placed, you always get prize money," he shrugged, crossing his arms.

"Are they real sapphires? Like, _real_ real?"

"Sapphires? I just asked for blue diamonds."

"That's what a sapphire is."

"Ah. Anyway, what else?" he asked, turning away and starting to walk. The girl followed him, smiling.

"Who was it for?" he went silent, the brunette's question repeating in his mind as he walked. She waited patiently, watching him for an answer.

"...No one in particular, just a gift for when I needed one," he responded, the brunette frowning.

"You don't buy a _diamond-encrusted_ ring for a simple gift, you obviously had someone in mind," she said tauntingly. "Was it a girl?"

"I said no one, why aren't you satisfied?" he asked.

"Because I know you're lying. Now, was it for your mom? Misty?" she asked, the raven-haired trainer shuddering at the thought.

"My mom would give me a lecture on finding a girl to settle down with if I mentioned anything related to that, and Misty would probably take it the wrong way," he responded, thinking of his mother. How was she doing after all these years?

"Okay, so...It wasn't Dawn, was it?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and looking into his eyes.

"No, and it wasn't for Iris either. Or you," he told her, knowing what she was going to say. She puffed out her cheeks, frowning.

"You're no fun at this, just tell me. I won't tell anyone else," she stated, giving a smile.

"...No," she sighed, the trainer ignoring her expression. He continued walking, but the girl had stopped and was now looking suspiciously at his back. Smiling to herself, she began to silently walk towards him, preparing herself for a jump. Her body moving into the air, her feet left the ground and dropped towards Ash, but he moved to the side and she landed safely on her feet again. "Again, no one can sneak up on me."

"Again, you're no fun," she said in a tone similar to his, her throat feeling funny from using such a deep tone.

"Now we're mocking each other? Alright, this might hurt my throat a little-"

"Don't you _dare_ try to mimic a girl."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you were still mad about that..." Hilbert stated, shaking his head with a confused look. The brunette ignored him, arms crossed and looking the other direction.<p>

"You two really should learn to be close friends, your fighting makes you look like you're dating," their faces heated up, immediately looking away from each other. "Or even better, married."

"Shut up, Zo! That will never happen!" Hilda snapped, glaring at the girl. She shrugged.

"Now it seems like you're divorced, you just can't settle," she told them, laughing quietly to herself. The pair glared at her, not thinking it was the slightest bit funny. "When did we last see Ash, anyway?"

"Let me see...I think it was our trap," Hilda told her, the girl giving a nod.

"So if the trap was there...He would be tired from the stress lately, so he napped for a bit...Waking up, his first instincts are..." she thought out loud, then snapped her fingers. "Nurse Joy."

"Why and how is she his first instinct? That sounds creepy," Hilda looked oddly at the girl, but she only smiled and moved to the automatic doors, the trio passing through and stepping to the front desk.

"Nurse Joy, have you seen Ash recently?" Zo asked the pink-haired woman.

"Come to think of it, he did come to talk earlier. Nothing major, just a little chat," she told them, giving a usual smile. Zo sighed quietly, thanking the woman and leaving the lobby.

"I knew I should have continued that tracking device project..." Hilbert muttered, frowning.

"You blew it up, remember?" Hilda asked him, arching her eyebrow. The man sighed, frowning as he knew she was right. "Besides, it kills time looking for him."

"But it can be frustrating!" she rolled her eyes, noticing Zo had disappeared. "Hey, where did Zo go? Wasn't she just here?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm wondering," she looked around, confused as to where the girl had gone. Nearby, around the statue, a girl was peeking around the side at the pair.

"Come on...One of you say something..." she muttered, feeling irritated with the pair.

"Well...I'm gonna take a nap, so...See ya," Hilbert stepped away from the brunette, leaving her alone as he disappeared through the trees.

"You idiot! I didn't mean to say something like _that_!" Zo muttered to herself, glaring as the male disappeared. She sighed. "...At the rate they're going, they'll never beat Ash and Leaf..."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for walking with me, it was fun," May beamed, smiling with a wink. "Let's do it again sometime."<p>

"Sure," he shrugged, turning and walking away. The brunette frowned as she watched him walk away, moving through the automatic doors. She waved to Nurse Joy, stepping down the hallway and finding her room door. Smiling to herself, her cheeks flashed pink before she stepped through the doorway.

"What happened with you and Ash!"

"Bwah!" she gasped, surprised as the blunette's face appeared close to hers. Falling back in surprise, she landed on the floor with a grunt. "Ow...Dawn? What was that about?"

"What did you do with Ash! Tell me now!" she demanded, pointing at the brunette accusingly. She looked oddly at her energetic friend as she stood again. "Don't deny it, you and he did something! I can sense it!"

"We didn't do anything, and weren't you harassing Paul?" she asked, giving an expectant look. The blunette grinned.

"I trapped him in a corner, I've got this competition in the bag," she laughed in a victorious way, confusing the brunette.

"You mean...Metaphorically, right?" she asked carefully, hoping she was right.

"Eh, doesn't matter," the brunette sighed, feeling a strange concern for Ash's old rival. "Besides, there's nothing he can do to beat me now! After what I did, he will know and admit I am dominant over him!"

"Dawn, you should think about what you're saying..." the brunette sighed again, shaking her head with a frown.

"Oh yeah, why were you looking for your clothes earlier? I heard Brock and Max were wondering, and I couldn't exactly help them," she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh, I was just looking for something..." the brunette reached into her pockets, confused as she didn't feel anything. Panicking, her eyes widened as she patted her hands down her legs. "What the...!"

"Lose something?" Dawn asked, looking oddly at the brunette.

"It's gone! It was here a second ago, but it disappeared!"

* * *

><p>"Nice try, but you shouldn't have told me about this..." Ash said to himself, smiling victoriously as he tossed the small white box lightly into the air repeatedly. Pocketing the small object, he moved through the bushes and entered the campsite. At the sound of snoring, he quietly retraced his steps and moved back into the main area. "Guess I'll check the schedule, then."<p>

"I knew I would find you sooner or later," he looked over, frowning to see his Sinnoh rival walking towards him. "Did you think hiding forever would help?"

"I'm not hiding forever, I'm conveniently away from you," he replied calmly, stepping into the center. Moving to the electric board, Paul said something that took him by surprise.

"So, what happened between you and Leaf?" he asked, the raven-haired trainer looking oddly at him. "Why you wouldn't say a word, I realized something happened with you and Leaf down at that lake. So what was it?"

"Nothing," Ash responded quickly, looking back at the board to hide his lightly blushing face. "Forget it, it's not important."

"If it's embarrassing to you, it's important to me," Paul told him, smirking. "Come on, I won't tell anyone else."

"Sure you won't, like I can trust you," Ash told him, reading down the names.

"You can't ignore it forever, we both know something happened that you will never forget," the Sinnoh trainer crossed his arms, leaning against the wall beside the board.

"_You have no idea..._" Ash thought, giving a mental sigh. The image returning to his mind, his face burned red as he turned away, giving a fake cough. "Don't you have Dawn to run away from?"

"O-Oh, yeah...About that..." Paul looked at the ground beside him, his face heating up. Ash glanced confused at him, smirking.

"Ah, so you have something embarrassing too, then?" Ash taunted, the Sinnoh trainer giving him a glare.

"Don't press it."

"Don't press me, then I'll leave it."

"Damn...Fine, I'll leave it alone."

"That's more like it," Ash smiled satisfyingly, stepping away from the board and leaving the building. The Sinnoh trainer following close behind, Ash stopped in the center of the large area. "Wait, I didn't even find my name."

"I can't believe you..." Paul muttered, giving a sigh and shaking his head as he walked away from him. Ash looked confused at him, then shrugged.

"I guess a surprise can be fun," he told himself, walking towards the battle arenas. Looking around, he smiled as he saw many excited fans watching battles in each of the arenas. "They're really psyched about watching these battles..."

"Look out! In a hurry!" Ash looked over to see the crowd ahead of him parting rapidly, a figure bursting through. With no time to react, he grunted as he felt himself forced down and hitting the ground.

"Hey, are you okay?" Ash asked, rubbing his forehead with eyes closed from the impact. He sat up, realizing something was still holding him down.

"A-Ash!" he slowly opened his eyes, not expecting to see Leaf's surprised face. Both of their faces heated up, noticing the position they were in. Ash was sitting with his legs extended and his arms holding him up, the brunette's hands on his chest holding herself up. Quickly jumping up, she lowered her head to hide her embarrassment. "I'm so sorry, Ash! I was in a hurry, and-"

"No worries, as long as you're fine," he got to his feet, managing to control his blush.

"I'm okay, t-thank you," she felt embarrassed from his words, the trainer not realizing why she was acting nervous.

"If you don't mind, why are you in such a hurry that you have to run into me?" Ash asked.

"Oh, no! I'm late!" she gasped, starting to dash away. Feeling the trainer grab her arm, she stopped.

"Come on, tell me," he said sternly, looking her in the eye. She blushed again, looking away.

"I was meeting with Brendan at the mall, and I'm late," she told him, freeing herself from his grasp and dashing off.

"_Wait, Brendan?_" Ash wondered, looking confused as the girl disappeared. "_...No, he's May's old friend. There's no way..."_ he began walking outside, then stopped. He frowned, crossing his arms. "_...This can't be...I can't believe this."_

"What's got you in thought?" he turned around, Zo looking oddly at him. "Wondering something?"

"Yeah, nothing important," he shrugged it off, hoping it was nothing. "So, what's- Hey, wait, I put you in your pokeball."

"...Oh, yeah! You _did_!" she gasped, crossing her arms with an irritated expression. "I plan on getting you back for that...Which actually reminds me why I'm looking for you."

"What is it?" he asked, looking around the area. Zo grinned.

"Just a little something interesting I heard...From a very nice pokemon of yours," she said slyly, the trainer looking oddly at her. He turned away, walking from her but being followed through the trees. He was not looking for his campsite, however, confusing Zo as she noticed he had walked past it.

"So what's so interesting?" he asked, not looking back as he continued through the trees.

"Just something that you will never want the others to know...From Umbreon," she crossed her arms again, grinning. The trainer stopped, growing pale as his eyes widened. He stared at the ground, only one possibility in his mind. "I can tell you know."

"...What about it?" he asked, regaining color to his face. He blinked, not facing the girl.

"A variety of things: Surprise, shock, amazement, disappointment," the girl listed, counting the emotions off on her finger.

"The first three are practically the same, and how are you disappointed?" he asked, looking strangely at the ground.

"I'm disappointed something like that happened, but you're still not together," she told him, giving a frown. "It won't be for long, but it still makes me disappointed.

"I suppose you want something from me," Ash stated, giving a sigh as he turned around, facing the pokemon.

"Yes I do," she stated proudly, hands on her hips with a proud smile. "First, I want to be fed more often. Two, I don't want Charizard attacking me. Three-"

"You're pushing it, Zo. Besides, I can't control Charizard's behavior," Ash told her, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'll probably deny most of them, but continue."

"Three, I want you to help with this stupid Hilda and Hilbert thing. Not tease, but actually _help_," she looked expectantly at him.

"I'm not a mushy romance guy, why are you asking me for help?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Because I trust you the most, and if it doesn't work you can use your pokemon to scare them together," she giggled to herself, the trainer sweat-dropped. "Also, and most importantly...Use me in battle already!"

"I will use you when I need to, Zo, you know you're powerful and we can't use you in an easy battle," Ash explained, the pokemon puffing her cheeks.

"But there's not many trainers left, and two of them are Hilda and Leaf. They are definitely not going to be easy battles," Zo told him, giving an expectant look again.

"Stop looking like that. I'll accept the first condition about the food, and maybe the Hilbert and Hilda one, depending if I get ideas," he told her, shrugging his shoulders. "The others, no."

"Oh? Well..." she crossed her arms, turning away with a grin. She closed here eyes, taking small steps away. "I suppose you wouldn't care, then..."

"What are you planning?" he asked.

"...Maybe your little _moment_ with Leaf gets around. Hilbert and Hilda... Dawn..." he felt his palms grow sweaty in his pockets, knowing she had him in a corner. She looked back over her shoulder with a sly look. "...Maybe May?"

"..." he remained silent, staring at her with an irritated look in his eyes. He mentally cursed at himself, knowing he was stupid enough to get himself into this. "...Fine. I'll do the food, try with Charizard, and help with Hilbert and Hilda."

"What about the battle?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Like I said, don't push it. But since we're in the third round, there won't be many battles left," he told her, recalling the small list of names on the board. "Each battle will go quickly, then the semi-finals and finals will happen on separate days. Plus with less people, there's more chance of battling Hilda and Leaf, which will definitely be tough battles and I'll need my stronger pokemon."

"...Ah, heck, three out of four sounds good!" she smiled, giggling to herself as she dashed through the trees. Ash sighed, shaking his head.

"I'll have to watch her...She's the least likely one I can trust..."

* * *

><p>"<em>..Pi...Pi...Pi...<em>" the small mouse snored lightly, its chest rising and lowering silently with each passing second. Its ears twitching, it lazily opened its eyes with a yawn.

"Pi," he poked his head out of the tent, recognizing his trainer looking in the bushes. Looking back at the sleeping figure beside him, the mouse left the tent and hurried to his trainer. "Sorry for waking you."

"_Kachu_," the mouse nodded, forgiving his trainer.

"I need your help, can you grab Zo's pokeball for me?" the mouse looked confused at him, then hurried back inside the tent and grabbed the pokeball. Placing it in his trainer's hand, the mouse smiled. "Thanks, I need to keep this close with me for a while."

"_Pikapi kachu, kachu pi_?" the mouse asked, rubbing its two fingers together.

"You decided on your punishment? What do you mean?" he asked, looking oddly at the mouse.

"_Kachu pika chupi_, _pi pi_," the mouse explained, smiling proudly.

"You won a bet with Zo?" the mouse nodded. "And now you want to get your prize form her, and it's in the form of punishment," the mouse nodded again. "...Okay, that works out great. I can help you find Zo, we'll get your revenge."

"_Pika!_" the mouse exclaimed, jumping to his shoulder with a smile. Ash pushed through the brush, moving into the large clearing and looking around. Noticing the girl entering the center, he rushed in and noticed her going down the stairs. Looking oddly at the mouse, he moved down the stairs and blinked. Crowds of people were scattered throughout the large lobby, chatting and laughing in the foyer of the underground mall.

"This...Won't be fun..."

* * *

><p>"...Left," Brendan stated, pointing at the shirt in her left hand. She smiled, giving a nod and putting the other back on the rack.<p>

"Thanks again for agreeing to this, I really needed to go shopping," Leaf told the boy, smiling.

"Don't worry about it, I used to have the same situation with May when we were younger. But I was wondering, why not ask Ash?" he asked, the brunette's cheeks warming up.

"W-Well, I didn't want to bother him," she looked at the rack next to her, hiding her face from the boy's view.

"What do you mean? I can tell whenever you two are together, he's having a great time," her cheeks warmed up more, the boy looking oddly at her. "...I'm not sure if you've noticed this, but he feels the most comfortable around you, of all the girls."

"How do you know this?" she asked, holding herself from looking at him.

"I'm an attentive guy, I notice a lot of things," he shrugged, looking around at the few people in the store. Noticing they were spread out and distant, he sighed quietly. "...Can I ask you something, Leaf?"

"What is it?" she asked, finally controlling her blushing and looking at him. He sighed again, his cheeks turning pink.

"Well...I need advice. I need your help with something."

"...Funny you mention it...I could actually use some help, too."

**END**

**Which two friends will battle each other next chapter?  
>What did Pikachu decide on?<br>Where is Zo located in the mall?  
>What are Brendan and Leaf helping each other with?<br>How will Ash help Zo with the Hilbert-Hilda conflict?**

**R&R for opinions, suggestions and feedback.**


	42. Chapter 42

**Back again, and I've been thinking about some things. As I've been told, this story is getting pretty long chapter-wise, I am trying to end it soon but not **_**rushed**_**. Anyway, enjoi this chap and tell me what you think.**

"Guess it was a good thing I left the mall early..." Ash muttered to himself, shuddering at the thought. He stood in his trainer box, smirking at the opponent across the field. She was a girl about his age, wearing a white frilly skirt with a black tank top and purple unzipped jacket, her short black hair combed down with a small bit covering her right eye. "This triple battle between Ash Ketchum of Kanto and Melissa Jenkins of Kanto will now begin!"

"Showtime, guys!" the girl called, tossing her pokeballs into the air and bursting open. The three figures were similiar to humans, but each had a special trait. The left figure had large boxing gloves on its hands, the right long and rubber-like legs, the middle had a cone-shaped head with a single point and small legs and arms.

"I always keep my promises," Ash said to himself, smirking as he tossed his pokeballs up, the three lights crashing down. As the lights formed, the crowd gasped and Melissa and her pokemon slightly trembled, shocked at their opponents. Ash's right pokemon was a towering tan dragon with small wings, the right a large green dragon with large thin wings, and the middle a large green tyrant with an intimidating glare. Each figure gave a roar, the tyrant stomping its foot and shaking the ground.

"B-Begin!"

"Let's do it, guys! Chan, Ice Punch on the flygon!" Melissa commanded, the fighting-type shaking its head and lunging at the green dragon with its frosty fist.

"'The flygon'?" Ash asked himself, confused and surprised as his pokemon had been insulted. The dragon glared at the girl, Ash saw this. "Calm down, buddy, she didn't mean it personally."

"Lee, Blaze Kick on the dragonite!" Melissa ordered again, Ash giving a sigh as the fighting-type lunged forward, its knee glowing a deep red.

"Again with that? Tyranitar, Stone Edge," several stones formed around the green giant, shooting towards the fighting-types and piercing their bodies, sending them backwards. "Dragonite, Flygon, take to the air. Tyranitar, Earthquake," the dragons flew into the air, remaining a short distance above the field as the tyrant stomped the field, shaking it violently.

"Lee, jump!" the long-legged pokemon sprung into the air, spinning its body as it came back down towards the large lizard. "Jump Kick!" its foot glowed, advancing quickly on its target.

"Tyranitar, Dark Pulse," the tyrant fired a dark attack from its mouth, striking the fighting-type's foot and pushing it back, exploding in the air.

"Top, Gyro Ball! Chan, Ice Punch!" the pair charged forward, one spinning while glowing a metal-like glimmer and the other with an icy fist reared back.

"Flygon, push them back," the green dragon hovered lower, flapping its wings rapidly and creating a powerful gust. The fighters stopped, holding their grounds barely before being blown back. "Dragonbreath," it exhaled a blast of green flames, enveloping the two fighting-types.

"Chan! Top!" Melissa called out, worried as the flames cut off. her pokemon fell to their knees, trembling slightly as they struggled to stand. "It can't be...That one attack was that strong...?"

"Not quite, Dragonbreath actually has a chance for causing paralysis," Ash told her, the girl giving a nod. "Now, Flamethrower," the green dragon released a stream of flames, incinerating through the pair of fighters and causing several burns across their bodies.

"Lee, Blaze Kick!" Ash looked surprised as the leg-specialty fighter kicked his green dragon with a flaming foot directly in the chest, he had actually forgotten about that one. "Now Rolling Kick!"

"Flygon, retreat," the dragon quickly glided away, the fighting-type's eyes widened as he kicked through the air and continued spinning uncontrollably. "Dragonite, Aqua Tail," the dragon's tail gave off a swirl of water, striking down its opponent into the ground, crashing while sending debris into the air. "Now, Dragon Rush," the dragon dived down, enveloped in a glowing blue aura and crashing into the field exploding more debris.

"Lee!" Melissa called, surprised. The dragon flapped out of the dust, clearing the cloud with its wings and revealing a fairly large crater, the small fighting-type lying in the center with its eyes replaced by swirls.

"Hitmonlee is unable to battle!" the ref announced, Melissa frowning as her pokemon disappeared into the red beam of light.

"...Chan, Thunderpunch on dragonite! Chan, Rolling Kick!" the two moved forward, one spinning with the other having a sparking fist.

"Tyranitar, Stone Edge," the wave of sharp stones darted at the pair, but they jumped over and dived at their targets. "Flygon, Flamethrower, Dragonite, Thunder," the green dragon released a powerful flame, its partner's antennas sparking and releasing two bolts of electricity. The fighting-types dodged into the air again, but the dragons redirected towards them again, the attacks landing a direct hit on both pokemon. They fell to the ground again, one sparking and the other severely burned.

"Guys, you have to get up! Please!" Melissa pleaded, the duo struggling to stand again.

"I compliment your pokemon's bravery, so I will finish this quickly. Thunder," the tall dragon's antennas sparked, two bolts of electricity striking the weakened pair, giving a pained cry as they fell on their backs, a sizzling sound heard as their eyes closed.

Hitmonchan and Hitmontop are unable to battle!" the ref raised his flags, Melissa frowning again as she recalled her others.

"...We can still do this, guys!" she called out, releasing a human figure with a spoon in each hand and a long mustache, and a pink figure with a crown-like shell on its head.

"Tyranitar, take the sidelines for a while," the tyrant looked back at Ash, giving a nod and growl as it disappeared in the red light. Ash's dragons landed on the ground, facing against the opposing pair.

"Dragonite and Flygon vs. Alakazam and Slowking! Begin!"

"Zam, Psybeam!" the psychic-type's mustache glowed, the tips releasing rainbow-colored beam.

"Dodge it," the dragons took to the air, avoiding the colorful beam easily. "Dragonite, Thunder," the dragon released the powerful bolts of electricity, advancing quickly on the psychic pair.

"King, Protect," the pink figure held its arms out, a green barrier forming around the pair as the electricity crashed against it, bouncing off harmlessly. "Water Pulse!" the barrier disappeared, the water-type throwing a sphere of water.

"Flamethrower," the green dragon released a stream of flames from its mouth, but the sphere changed course and began moving in surprise directions, the dragons watching it intently. Ash looked closely at Melissa's pokemon, the human figure's eyes glowing blue. "Ah, so alakazam uses Psychic to guide their attacks..."

"Do it, Zam!" the sphere moved between the dragons quickly then exploded, splashing the dragons who closed their eyes for protection. Opening them again, they were surprised to see the psychic-types directly in front of them. "Double Ice Punch!" both pokemon reared back an icy fist, punching the dragons in the chest. Both grunted as the psychic-types disappeared, reappearing by Melissa again.

"Slowking blocks an attack, then Water Pulse surprises and blinds the opponents for a short time, then alakazam uses Teleport to get close for an effective and powerful hit," Ash smirked, giving a complimentary nod. "Not half bad, I must admit. But there's one flaw."

"Zam, Psybeam!" Melissa commanded, the rainbow-colored beam advancing on the dragons.

"Dragonbreath," the green flame-like breath burst through the beam, advancing on the psychics.

"King, Protect!" the green barrier appeared, the pink pokemon grinning as the attack bounced off without effect.

"Again," the green dragon released another powerful blast, bouncing off the barrier again. "Continuous Dragonbreath, in short and powerful blasts."

"King's Protect is the strongest there is, there's no way it will break!" Melissa called out, grinning.

"It's not breaking it that's the problem," Melissa expression changed to confusion, wondering what he meant. As the dragon-type attacks repeatedly struck the barrier, the water-type frowned, a bead of sweat going down its forehead. "One final Dragonbreath."

"Keep it up, King!" Melissa called to her pokemon, the water-type's grin disappearing. Feeling weak, it began breathing heavier. As the green dragon released a powerful green flame, the water-type struggled to keep its mental power stable. Struggling, it closed its eyes and began to pant, the barrier disappearing as its arms fell. "King!" it opened its eyes again, widening as the green flames struck its partner, throwing alakazam back.

"Dragonite, Thunder," the dragon released two powerful voltage attacks, darting across the field at a high speed.

"King, Protect!" Melissa called frantically, the water-type raising its arms again. Its eyes widened as the bolts continued towards it, entering its body and giving a powerful surge of pain, the pokemon giving a pained shout. "King! No!"

"As I said, breaking the barrier was not the problem," Melissa looked over at Ash, confused again. "The pokemon can't hold it up forever while taking multiple hits. After utilizing past that, it's a matter of using the move's statistics for your benefit."

"Statistics?" Melissa asked, tilting her head.

"Protect is a great defensive move for blocking attacks, but using it too often too quickly can turn it against you. The move sometimes fails, I only had to keep attacking until that came into effect," Ash grinned, pointing at the weak water-type struggling to stand, sparks jumping across its body. "Thunder," the dragon released another pair of bolts, shocking the water-type again. Sparks coursing painfully through its body, it dropped to its knees with a grunt.

"King, please get up!" Melissa pleaded, the water-type panting from the two super-effective shocks.

"Finish with Thunder," the dragon's antennas sparked, glowing a bright yellow as electricity formed and burst from the tips towards the weak water-type.

"King, please!" she shouted, shaking her head with her eyes clenched shut. Hearing the electricity sizzle, she waited for the sound of her pokemon falling. Nothing happened. "What...?"

"But how...?" Ash muttered, surprised to see a glowing yellow square protecting the water-type. Both trainers looked behind Melissa, surprised to see alakazam covered in scratches in marks, holding its arm out with the spoon glowing yellow.

"Zam, you're okay! Your Light Screen just saved King!" the psychic-type nodded, moving back beside its partner with a grin.

"So it was Light Screen...Impressive, I'm surprised you're able to stand so quickly after direct hit from Dragonbreath," Ash stated, smirking.

"Zam, let's use Shadow Ball!" the psychic-type formed a purple sphere between its hands, throwing it towards the dragons.

"They'll most likely use the same strategy, so fly towards them ," the dragons flew quickly in the air, closing in on the psychic pair.

"King, Water Pulse! Zam, Psybeam!" the rainbow beam and sphere of water moved through the air towards the dragons.

"Dragon Claw, both of you," both dragon's claws glowed blue, slashing down the opposing attacks and stopping in the air. "Dragonite, Dragon Rush. Flygon, Dragonbreath."

"Zam, explode the Shadow Ball!" the purple sphere floated between the dragons, exploding and surprising them. "Now double Ice Punch!" the pair disappeared, reappearing above the dragons and striking them with a cold fist. A chunk of cie formed on each of their backs, slowly forming over the base of their wings. The dragons grunted, unable to move their wings and falling from the air. "Ice Punch again!"

"Light Flamethrower and Dragon Claw," the green dragon looked at its partner, releasing a weak flame on its back. The ice quickly melted down to a liquid, the dragon bringing its arm over and slashing the ice with glowing claws, instantly shattering. Both dragons moved off the ground, quickly moving away as the pokemon struck the ground, pillars of ice rising around their fists.

"You can't dodge forever! Water Pulse and Shadow Ball!" Melissa called, the sphere of water and purple energy moving towards the flying dragons.

"Circle back around and gain speed," both dragons moved faster through the air, wind catching off their wings and increasing their speed as they circled around. Both dragons charged towards the psychic-types, a grin on their faces. "Steel Wing and Dragon Rush, full power."

"Think again! King, Protect!" the water-type held up its arms, a green barrier forming around the pair as the dragons advanced.

"Can your weakened pokemon's Protect really take _two _attacks?" Ash asked, Melissa gritting her teeth as she looked concerned towards slowking. The green dragon's wings glowing a gleaming silver and its partner's body enveloped in a powerful blue aura both crashed into the barrier, a determined grin on their faces as they pushed against the barrier. The water-type's eyes widened, feeling weak as its mental stability began to waver from the two direct attacks. The barrier suddenly shattered, the dragons crashing through and into the psychic-types, pushing them with brute force into the wall in an explosion of the wall's structure.

"King! Zam!" Melissa called, surprised as her barrier had been shattered so easily.

"Protect can easily hold one, but two powerful attacks like that can easily break through," Ash smirked, watching his dragons fly out of the cloud of dust. they flapped their wings to clear it faster, revealing the two figures pushed into the wall with swirls for eyes.

"Slowking and Alakazam are unable to battle!" the ref announced, Melissa frowning as she recalled her pair. She gritted her teeth, lowering her head and giving a quiet laugh as she pulled her final pokeball.

"...It's your mistake..." Ash looked confused at the girl, seeing her lips moving but not hearing her voice. She was speaking too quietly, but her head suddenly snapped up with a grin. "You'll regret forcing me to my final pokemon!" she tossed the sphere into the air, the blue light bursting from the center and striking the field. Quickly taking form, the blue flash faded and revealed a large blue turtle.

"A blastoise..." Ash grinned, watching the turtle release two cannons from its shell, giving a battle cry. "Dragonite, Flygon, return," the two dragons nodded, looking back at their trainer as they disappeared in the lights. Ash pulled another pokeball from his belt, looking intently at the center. "...it was a good idea I took you on my team..." he muttered, tossing the sphere into the air. The light burst straight down, hitting the field and taking form. As the light faded, the crowd gasped as another turtle stood.

"You have a blastoise, too?" Melissa asked, eyes wide as she stared at the turtle. She couldn't help but notice Ash's was slightly larger than hers, with a more intimidating expression.

"I thought this would be a fitting battle," Ash called out, the turtle grinning with a nod, releasing the cannons from its shoulders.

"Blastoise vs. Blastoise! Begin!"

"Blast, Hydro Pump!" Melissa called, the turtle releasing two powerful blasts of water.

"Hydro Pump," Ash's turtle did the same, both attacks colliding at the center and cancelling the other out. "So we're even."

"Water Pledge!" the turtle formed a puddle at its feet, crossing the field at a surprising speed until it was beneath Ash's turtle's feet. Bursting into a pillar of water, the turtle was slowly lifted into the air from the sudden force.

"Retreat and spin," the turtle disappeared inside its shell, spinning its body until the shell was rotating at a high speed. Digging through the water's force, the shell slowly began to decrease in elevation from the ground.

"Hydro Pump again! Then Flash Cannon!" the turtle fired another powerful twin-jet of water, pushing the turtle's shell off the water pillar. The water suddenly changed from water to a silver beam, exploding on contact with the turtle's shell. "Yeah! That's how we do it!"

"Good tactics, but not power," Ash stated, the dust clearing and revealing the turtle standing perfectly fine. Melissa gasped, the turtle looking surprised. "Show them a Flash Cannon with power," Ash's turtle released a twin-beam of silver energy from its cannons, exploding on the turtle's chest.

"Blast!" the turtle stumbled back a few steps, shaking its head from the powerful hit. "Use Gyro Ball!" the turtle retreated into its shell, spinning rapidly and advancing on Ash's turtle with a silver glow.

"Hydro Pump," the turtle released an intense blast of water from its cannons, pushing the glowing turtle back slowly. Its speed decreased, getting slower and slower from the opposing force. "Now Ice beam," the water changed to beams of ice, suddenly striking the turtle and freezing it solid in a block of ice.

"Blast!" Melissa gasped, surprised as her turtle became frozen in ice.

"Flash Cannon," the silver beams exploded on the turtle, the ice shattering and sending it back to Melissa. The turtle stood again, stumbling and regaining its footing. "Again."

"Water Pledge!" the silver beams were stopped by a sudden pillar of water, blocking the attack. "Now Hydro Pump!"

"Counter it," the two blasts of water cancelled the other, both turtles looking at the other with determination. "Ice Beam."

"Flash Cannon!" the attacks collided, exploding at close range. Melissa's turtle charged into the smoke, hoping for a surprise attack under the smoke for cover.

"Clear the smoke and Flash Cannon," the smoke began swirling around Melissa's water-type, then it gasped as it noticed the smoke suddenly disappearing. Ash's turtle stopped spinning, extending its limbs from its shell again with a grin as it fired the silver beams, exploding on the turtle again.

"Blast!" it stumbled back again, panting with a glare at the opponent turtle. "Are you okay?"

"Blastoise, let's finish this," the turtle nodded, targeting its twin cannons on the weak turtle. "Hydro Cannon," the turtle focused, releasing a glowing sphere of water at a high speed towards the turtle.

"Hydro Cannon? Blast, you have to dodge!" Melissa called frantically, recognizing the attack. Her eyes widened, noticing the turtle only breathing heavy on the spot. "Blast!"

"It's over now," Ash smirked, crossing his arms. The ultimate water-type attack got closer to the turtle, but it remained motionless with its head low, eyes closed.

"_Blaaast!_" Melissa shouted, the turtle's eyes snapping open with a deep-blue glow. It snapped its head up, holding its arms forward and blocking the powerful attack, suddenly fading away in its palms.

"What?" Ash's eyes widened, watching his attack disappear in the turtle's palms. The attack completely disappeared, the turtle's arms glowed blue and spread across its body, a flame-like aura emerging from its cannons. The turtle looked at Ash's with a grin, its eyes glowing. Ash noticed this, his lips curling into a grin.

"Blast?" Melissa asked, her lips curling into a smile as her pokemon was still standing. The turtle looked back, grinning with a nod. "You're okay! This is great!"

"Thanks to your blastoise's ability," Melissa looked over at Ash, who stood calmly with a grin. "What you're witnessing is Torrent, an ability that amplifies water-type pokemon when they're weak."

"This is Torrent?" Melissa looked curiously at the turtle, who aimed its cannons at Ash's turtle. A jet of water shot from the cannons, which suddenly grew much larger, surprising Ash and his turtle. Ash's turtle retreated into its shell, being pushed into the wall behind Ash. "Was that...Hydro Pump? That was awesome!"

"As I said, Torrent powers up water-type pokemon. That includes their attacks," Ash called to her, his turtle standing again. "Flash Cannon," the silver beams darted at the empowered turtle.

"Alright, Flash Cannon!" the turtle released its own silver beams, exploding against the opposing attack. "Now, a super-powered Water Pledge!" a puddle formed below the turtle, moving across the field quickly under Ash's water-type.

"Spin," the turtle spun in its shell, blasted into the air by a massive pillar of water. The turtle remained on the top, spinning. "Skip off the water," the turtle began bouncing on the water's surface, jumping off the pillar and landing back on the ground.

"Let's finish this, Blast! Full power Hydro Pump!" the turtle's cannons targeted the opposing turtle, firing a massive blast of water.

"Blastoise, Hydro Cannon," Ash's turtle fired the glowing sphere of water, colliding with the opposing attack at the field's center. Both sides pushed to overpower the other, then one attack was suddenly defeated and pushed back. The sphere pushed through the jet of water until it reached the turtle, turning into an explosion of water.

"Blast!" Melissa shouted, watching her turtle receive the strongest water-type attack at close range. The turtle stood for a few moments, then shook its head rapidly. "You're okay! Thank goodness!" she sighed in relief, smiling. Suddenly the turtle fell on its chest, the girl giving a gasp. "Blast!"

"Melissa's Blastoise is unable to battle! This match goes to Blastoise and Ash Ketchum of Kanto!"

"Good job, big guy," Ash smiled, petting the turtle's shell. The turtle nodded with a grin, the trainer recalling the water-type and moving towards his opponent.

"Blast, are you okay?" the turtle nodded weakly, the girl recalling the turtle. "Take a nice long rest, you deserve it after that."

"Melissa," she looked up, seeing Ash holding his hand out with a smile. "That was a great battle, you know. I really was no fluke you got this far." the girl got to her feet, shaking her head with a smile.

"Thank you, but I got to this point from pure luck. On the other hand, you managed to get here without breaking a sweat, and your blastoise even managed to defeat mine when it was powered by Torrent. I guess somewhere along the road, there's always a trainer better than you," she put her hand in his, a warm smile on her lips as they shook. "Thanks for this great opportunity, I guess I have more to work on than strategy."

"If you put your mind to it, you'll go far. And when you do, I'd be honored to have a rematch," he told her, taking his hand from hers. Her cheeks turned pink, reaching into her jacket's pocket and pulling a piece of paper.

"Here," she placed the paper in his hand, smiling. "If you ever get back to Kanto, give me a call, 'kay?" with that, she skipped off happily from the raven-haired trainer, leaving him confused. He looked down at the paper, reading a series of numbers.

"...Must be for the rematch," he told himself, pocketing the paper and walking towards the doorway.

* * *

><p>"Where did that guy go? Zo must have really chased him to hiding," Hilda stated, looking around with hands on her hips.<p>

"You said it, the guy's just gone," Hilbert added, arms behind his head. "Besides, wouldn't he be running from Paul anyway? You know, from before?"

"Eh, I can't keep track of this stuff anymore," Hilda shrugged, the male rolling his eyes. She glared at him discreetly, then looked towards the trees curiously. "Hilbert...Was it a good idea to release Zo?"

"Let's say sure. Why?" he asked.

"I'm just thinking...If she has found Ash and is teasing him about this super-special secret of his, what would Ash be thinking?" she asked, looking at him.

"Why won't you shut up? Can you please shut up? Can't you go annoy someone else?" Hilbert listed jokingly, chuckling lightly.

"I'm serious, Hilbert," the man flinched, expecting a punch to the shoulder but not getting anything. He sighed in relief. "If he put Zo in her pokeball before, would he wonder how she got out?"

"...Well, yeah, I guess logically," he shrugged, then his body froze up. his eyes widened, looking at the girl. "...His first thought would be tracing it back to us."

"So he'll blame us for releasing her, initially blaming us for everything she says, attempts to bribe with and blackmailing him," she stated, the young man nodding. They stared at each other in silence for a few moments, then they gulped.

"...Who do you think it will be? Charizard of Krookodile?"

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out!" she sprinted away from him, following closely behind at the fearsome thought of being alone with Ash hunting them.

"Where are we going?" he asked, struggling to keep up.

"We're going to hide out in the battle arenas, he wouldn't order his pokemon to hunt us if it ruined another trainer's battle!" Hilda told him, the man nodding in understanding. Sprinting around the corner, their eyes widened as they dug their heels into the ground. Unable to stop soon enough, they slammed into the person with sudden screams of fear.

"Aagh!" the trainer grunted, feeling himself shoved to the ground. He groaned, rubbing his head as supported himself with his arm. Opening his eyes in confusion, he was surprised to see familiar faces. "Hilbert? Hilda?"

"Ow...Damn..." Hilbert muttered, wincing as he felt weight on his chest.

"Ow...That hurt..." Hilda muttered, opening her eyes from the collision. Looking down, she was confused to see some kind of blue fabric. A _familiar_ fabric.

"Oow...My chest..." he groaned, moving his arms under his backside to hold himself up. Looking down, his eyes widened. Their surprised eyes met, Hilda lying on top of Hilbert with her head slightly lower than this. Their faces burned red, the heat rivaling that of a fire-type.

"Well, at least you're finally embracing it," Ash said, standing and brushing his legs. He looked at the pair, who turned back to him with anger. Their expression suddenly changed to horror, remembering why they were trying to hide from him, quickly sliding back on the ground. Their backs hitting a wall, they wrapped their arms around each other protectively with a terrified look. "An hour ago you were at each other's throats, now you're hugging. Isn't this more fitting?"

"A...A..." he looked oddly at his male friend, his voice couldn't even finish a single word. What was up with him?

"Hilda, mind telling me what's wrong?" Ash asked, looking at the girl.

"...A...A..." he sighed, shaking his head and rubbing the nose arch between his eyes.

"Alright, seems we're going to need a speech lesson here," he muttered, taking a breath. "Alright, shake for no and nod for yes."

"It wasn't us!" Hilbert blurted, confusing the trainer.

"What wasn't you?" Ash asked, arching an eyebrow. He covered his mouth, the pair trembling.

"...I...He...We..." Hilda continued her string of unfinished words, the trainer giving another sigh.

"Alright, alright, you can stop. I don't know why you can't talk, or why you're scared nearly to death, but I'm just glad you're finally acknowledging your feelings. Makes it easier for me," he told them, walking away. "Huh...Maybe I should tell Zo and take credit for this..." the pair watched him leave in silence, remaining in their huddled hug position. Snapping out of it, the girl shook her head and blinked. She cringed, slowly look to her side and seeing her male friend. Looking down at their position, her face burned again.

"Get. Your. Hands. Off. Me. _Now_."

"H...Huh? Ah! Wait, not the chest!"

* * *

><p>"Man, I'll never understand those two..." he shook his head, stepping into the campsite. He looked around, his eyes stopping on Leaf's tent. "...I can't believe those two are still out..."<p>

"Yeah, well believe it," his eyes snapped to his own tent, taking notice of the girl's resting head poking out of the entrance with her arms crossed beneath her cheek. "That's right, I'm here. Glad to see you noticed."

"Sorry, Zo, just...Thinking," he looked inside Leaf's tent, taking notice of her belt with six pokeballs.

"What do you ever think about besides battling? Oh, wait, _girls_?" Zo asked slyly, laughing to herself. "I'll wear the stupidest and scariest outfit on the day that happens."

"Now I wish that would come sooner," he said jokingly, chuckling to himself as he sat by the tent. The flap opened beside Zo's head, the yellow mouse stepping out and resting by his trainer's legs. "You're getting really lazy here, aren't you, buddy?"

"_Chaa..._"

"Yeah, he's getting kinda fat, look," Zo pulled on the side of the mouse's stomach, pulling his fur away from his bones. The mouse glared at her, who stuck out her tongue playfully.

"You know, you're not exactly the exercise king here," Ash told her, arching an eyebrow.

"Of course not, I'm a girl. I'm the exercise _queen_," she corrected him, smiling. "Besides, that's because _you_ never use me in battle."

"Ah, makes sense," he shrugged, resting his head on the grass with arms crossed beneath. "You know, Zo...Weird things seem to happen at this tournament."

"It's because you're talking with people and being friendly, it's different from your usual lifestyle," Zo told him, smirking. "Plus, you have the two girls with crushes on you, and the love-of-your-life childhood friend."

"She is not a love of my life, Zo, we're only friends," Ash told her, closing his eyes with a sigh.

"Not for long, you have to be extremely dense to deny that," she stated, the trainer shaking his head slightly.

"There's only a few battles left here, then it's over," he told her, a few moments of silence following. "...We'll have to stay on mainland."

"I figured as much, your friends would probably lose their mind if you left a second time," Zo laughed slightly, imagining Ash in various ways of pain.

"You really do have a dark side," Ash frowned.

"Of course, I'm a dark-type. Hence the _dark_," she told him, rolling her eyes.

"That doesn't necessarily mean- Never mind."

"That's right, you know you'll lose an argument against me."

"Not that, I can't get through your thick skull."

"What was that?"

"Nothing, it's just that you're thick-headed and can't notice things easily."

"I can't, now can I? Wasn't I the one who first noticed that you and Leaf were childhood friends and loved each other?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"And that you love each other now?"

"No."

"Damn, so close."

"Sure, whatever you say," he sat up, getting to his feet.

"Where you going?" she asked, watching him curiously as he walked by her head.

"Just seeing if I didn't imagine something a little while ago," he replied, the girl watching him strangely as he disappeared.

"What would he imagine? Flying grumpigs?"

* * *

><p>"So that's it?" Brendan asked, the brunette giving a nod.<p>

"Yeah, I'm just not exactly sure how. Or if I even can," she said quietly, looking below the table at her feet.

"...Well, I guess I was expecting something like opinions on different shirts or something," Brendan shrugged, taking the straw in his mouth and gulping down his cola. "I just didn't think you would ask me."

"Well I definitely can't ask Ash, May and Dawn would get immediately jealous so they're out of the question, Paul is kind of strange, and I don't know any of Ash's friends that well," Leaf explained, taking a fry in her mouth. "You seemed like the best fit, being a calm and quiet guy. No offense."

"None taken, it's actually kind of a compliment. Anyway, I guess I could cut my time to help you out," he put his cup down on the table, smirking. "You seem like a nice person who could use help."

"Are you calling me helpless?" she asked, her tone changing from her usual cheerful and gentle kind. He shook his head. "You better hope so."

"I know not to mess with a girl in love," Brendan told her, crossing his arms on the table. "So, what exactly am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know, that's up to you to decide," she told him, taking another fry in her mouth. "That's why I asked you, shouldn't you have some creative scheme or something?"

"These things don't come naturally, you know. They take time to develop, plus they have to have uniqueness and quality," he told her, tapping his fingers on the table.

"Well, I guess I don't need to know right away. When you get an idea, come find me. Thanks again for shopping with me," she smiled, taking her several bags in her arms.

"Hold on, you're gonna drop those," he stood up, reaching for some of the bags. She stepped back.

"Nope, I got it!" she said cheerfully, stumbling. He quickly reached out and caught a few bags, arching an eyebrow to the girl. "...Alright, I could use some help."

"That's more like it," he told her, chuckling as he took some more bags. The girl smiled to the boy, the pair walking away from the table and towards the main exit.

"So, how do you want me to help you?" she asked.

"Oh, well, anyway you want, I guess," he shrugged, looking at the girl. "I mean, you can add the things I said if you want, I just want it to make sense and not be suspicious."

"Sounds good to me, just remember that for me when you think of something," she told him, smiling as she noticed the exit come in view as they turned the corner. Brendan smiled.

"_Oh, I've already got a plan..._"

* * *

><p>"Back for love advice again?"<p>

"No, sorry to disappoint you."

"I suppose I can manage," the nurse giggled, smiling to the raven-haired trainer. "So what can I really do for you?"

"These guys could use a little rest, if it's not too much trouble," he held out his four pokeballs, the nurse happily taking them.

"Like I've said before, it's my job," she turned away and put them on a tray, taking them into the back room. The trainer looked around the lobby, tapping his toe on the floor.

"...Right about now, something usually happens..."

"Hey! Ash!" he smiled, feeling pleased with himself as he looked over to the hallway, seeing a familiar brunette and blunette walking towards him. Their faces beaming, they hurried over. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Nothing really, just hanging around, I guess," he shrugged.

"Hey, when's your next battle?" Dawn asked.

"I just had one a little while ago, actually," he told her, the girls puffing their cheeks out.

"What? Why didn't you tell us?" she asked, frowning. he shrugged.

"I guess I'll forgive you this _one_ time," May said playfully, giving a wink.

"So what are you two doing, then?" he asked. The girls looked at each other, Dawn smiling and May frowning.

"We were...Uh..."

"Shopping! Girl time, busy busy!"

"O...Kay...?"

"Bye, Ash! See you soon!" Dawn winked, then dashed off away from the trainer while dragging the brunette's arm. They disappeared through the doorway, leaving the trainer confused.

"It's the 'soon' part that worries me..." he sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh, hey! Ash!" he looked over, seeing Brendan walking towards him with a large load of shopping bags. He noticed the boy stumbling, deciding to help him. "Oh, thanks," he said, feeling his weight get lighter.

"No problem, guys help guys, right?" he asked, the trainer nodding with a smile.

"I guess, I just hate to bother you," he told him, holding the few bags at his side.

"I wasn't busy, if anything you're helping me by giving me something to do," Ash chuckled, looking down at the bags in his arms. "Are these...Leaf's?"

"Yeah, she goes - Wait, how did you know they were hers?" he asked, looking oddly at him.

"Leaf ran into me a while ago and told me she was late for shopping with you," he cringed. "I couldn't help but wonder why, though."

"Ah...I'm sure it was some weird girl reason," Brendan lied, knowing the real reason. Ash shrugged, giving a nod.

"I guess that makes sense," Brendan sighed quietly, hoping he wouldn't notice. "I'm not exactly saying she should have asked me, I'm kind of glad for that, but didn't you two just meet at this competition?"

"Well so did we, but we're talking friendly, aren't we?" he asked, the trainer nodding. "Besides, you know girls have a whole code for these things."

"Yeah, I never will understand that," Ash nodded, frowning. "Well, does she want this stuff at her tent, then?"

"Yeah, but can I ask you something first?" Brendan asked, Ash looked carefully at him.

"...Alright, shoot."

"What exactly is your relationship with Leaf?" Ash stared at him silently for a few moments, then sighed lightly. "Not to pry or anything, I'm just saying..."

"No, I get it, it's fine. Well...To be honest...We're just friends," Brendan frowned.

"Are you sure? You seem to be most comfortable around her more than the other girls, and you two seem closer than friends," Ash looked at the ground, thinking.

"It is like that, yes, but it doesn't necessarily mean we're closer," he told him, the Hoenn trainer awaiting further explanation. "...I guess it's complicated. Before we became trainers, we were best friends as kids. Nothing could get between our friendship, we were almost inseparable."

"So what happened? Why don't you seem that close now?" Brendan asked.

"...I guess I'm kind of afraid," Brendan looked at him oddly. Down the stairs, around the corner, the brunette leaned against the wall with shopping bags in her arms, frowning.

"Oh, Ash..."

**END**

**What will Brendan and Leaf plan for each other?  
>What happened with Hilbert and Hilda?<br>What will the next match-ups be?  
>What are May and Dawn doing?<br>What else will Ash tell Brendan?  
><strong>

**R&R. Have fun.  
><strong>


	43. Chapter 43

**Going on a three-day trip to Toronto for school, that's why it's so early, in case you were wondering. We have, like, the worst class in any of the schools nearby, so it's gonna be hilarious. Try not to fill up my inbox too much for when I get back, a'ight?**

"Man, she needs to calm down..." Hilbert muttered, frowning as he rubbed his chest.

"I heard that," he cringed, glancing up at the girl walking ahead of him. He sighed quietly, crossing his arms behind his head as he continued through the central area. The girl stopped, turning to face him. "You haven't told me, what was up with the hugging earlier?"

"I'm...Not sure, exactly. I remember running into Ash, then I sorta blacked out, then you were punching me," he explained, the girl looking at him intently.

"...I guess I owe you one time," she replied, crossing her arms.

"With all the Team Plasma in the past, you owe me a lot more than one," he muttered, looking away.

"What was that?" he cringed again, mentally cursing himself for speaking too loudly.

"I said...It's fine, one time sounds about right," the girl smiled, gave a nod and walked towards the battle areas again. He looked oddly at the girl, walking towards the center. As he looked back to the trees, he noticed a familiar blunette and brunette walking in a separate direction. "Huh...Strange..."

* * *

><p>"Alright, is that all of them?" Ash asked, placing the multiple bags on the grass.<p>

"Yeah," Brendan replied, setting down his bags with a sigh. He leaned back, earning a few cracks in response. "This can't be healthy..."

"It doesn't affect you too much, I went years doing this without a real health problem," Ash told him, the Hoenn boy rolling his eyes.

"Now, continuing from earlier," Ash frowned, giving a nod as he sat down, leaning his back against a tree. The boy sat against a tree beside him, looking at the trainer expectantly. "Explain what you meant."

"Zo, you can go attack Hilbert now," Ash stated, the girl springing from the tent.

"Awesome! Thanks!" she exclaimed, sprinting out of the campsite, earning a confused look from Brendan.

"It's how I trick her into leaving without response," the boy nodded, understanding. "Now, what exactly did you want to hear?"

* * *

><p>"Damn, I can't believe I fell for that again..." Zo muttered, frowning as she walked into the center. She glanced back at the trees, then the doors closed. "Could have sworn I just saw Leaf...Eh, must finally be going crazy."<p>

* * *

><p>"Well, when I said afraid...I really did mean it, I'm afraid of it," Ash told him.<p>

"What are you afraid of? If you were such close friends, what's wrong with it now?" Brendan asked, crossing his arms.

"When we were kids, we were...Actually a lot closer than best friends. I hate myself for admitting it, but we used to do a lot of mushy couple stuff," Brendan smiled, imagining the trainer and brunette holding hands, hugging on the couch, etc. "But when we did all that, we were just kids. We didn't care about what others thought, we were just having fun."

"So why not have fun now?" Brendan asked, the trainer arching en eyebrow at him.

"With Hilbert, Hilda and Zo around? I can't do that, they'll annoy me a _lot_ more than usual," the trainer stated, the Hoenn-native nodding. "Besides, this tournament is public. If one person even sees us holding hands, suddenly it's right on the press and the cover of every magazine in Unova."

"I guess that makes sense, I understand that feeling," Brendan replied, the trainer looking oddly at him. His cheeks flushed pink, looking the other way. "Ah...Continue."

"Anyway, yeah, we were like a young couple. Holding hands, hugging, all that stuff with laughter and smiles," Ash explained, frowning as he closed his eyes. "...Then there was that one day..."

"What day?" he asked, the trainer giving a sigh.

"The day that changed...Us..."

* * *

><p><em>"What do you mean, leaving?" a younger Ash asked, looking oddly at a younger brunette.<em>

_"I'm really sorry, Ash. My mom and dad have business meetings in other regions, so we have to move tomorrow," the girl replied sadly._

_"But...Won't your parents let you stay? You can stay with me and my mom!" the boy told her, the girl shaking her head._

_"My parents say I have to go, they won't let me stay in Kanto," she told the raven-haired boy, the boy crossing his arms. "Don't be mad, it will only be a little while."_

_"But how long is 'a little while'? A month, a year?" the boy asked, the girl feeling a tear form in her eye._

_"Please, Ash, you're overreacting..." she told him, but the boy shook his head._

_"You know my birthday's coming in a few months, Leaf. Now you say you're leaving and don't know when you're coming back," he told her, the girl sniffling. "You were supposed to see me off as I start my pokemon journey, but now you can't. And I can't see you off when you start your journey," he explained, the girl holding a fist to her chest._

_"But we'll be coming back to Kanto, it's just going to take a little time," she replied, sniffling again. "Ash, I want to be there when you get your first pokemon, I want it more than anything, but I can't stay if my parents don't say so."_

_"So your parents are more important than me, then? Than us?" he asked, the girl feeling hurt._

_"Well...They're my parents, they're my closest family," she responded quietly, looking at the ground._

_"No, you should love them. Go on, stay with them forever," she looked surprised at the boy. "Love them while you can, before you have to leave them."_

_"What are you saying...?" her voice was quiet, almost a whimper._

_"I'm saying love your parents before you have to leave them. Who knows, maybe your dad will find something more interesting and leave you alone with your mom," he replied in a cold tone, turning away._

_"Ash, don't say that!" she gasped, grabbing hold of his arm._

_"Go help your parents pack, just leave me alone," he told her, shaking himself from her grasp._

_"Ash, please listen to me!" he looked down as the girl grasped his hand, looking back at her face. "Please, I don't want this to happen! We'll never forget each other, we'll never forget our promise!"_

_"...I guess, but it won't be the same," he told her, the girl looking almost broken to tears._

_"It will be the same! We'll be best friends forever, as long as we remember each other!" she told him._

_"We're going to meet a lot of people on our journeys, we might never even see each other again," he stated, the girl shaking her head frantically._

_"No, we _will_ see each other again! Definitely!" a tear rolled down her cheek, the boy looking into her eyes. "I couldn't live without seeing you again! We'll meet again, then we'll have a battle!"_

_"...Yeah, we will," the girl beamed as the boy finally smiled, his eyes returning to their regular warm auburn shade. "We'll battle, for sure...And we'll be the best..."_

_"Yeah..." she sniffed, wiping a tear from her eye._

_"You better get back to your parents, they're probably packing your stuff for you," the boy told her, his smile weakening. She frowned, giving a nod._

_The Next Day..._

_"Alright, we've got everything," the man stated, closing the back door of the minivan. The man sat in the driver's seat, the woman sitting in the front beside him._

_"Well, it's time..." the young girl said sadly, lowering her head as she felt tears forming. The boy noticed a few tears hitting the ground, he put his finger under her chin and lifted her head._

_"Hey, don't cry," she looked into the boy's warm eyes, her sadness growing as she saw his childish smile. "We'll see each other again, I guarantee it."_

_"...Ash..." she whimpered, more tears forming as her shoulders began to tremble. She suddenly flung her arms around the boy, surprising him. "Ash! I don't want to leave you!"_

_"...Hey, ssh, it's okay," he whispered, holding the girl gently as she cried into his shoulder. "Ssh, you'll be fine. We'll never forget each other, right?"_

_"Please...Never forget me, Ash..." he nodded, smiling as he closed his eyes, holding the girl. "...Never...Forget..."_

_"I won't...Never in my life..." he whispered, feeling a tear form in his own eye. He closed his eyes, the tear rolling down his cheek and softly hitting the girl's hair. "...We'll never break our promise...We'll be the best trainers ever..."_

_"Ash..." she pulled back from the boy, sniffling as she looked at his warm smile. She closed her eyes, feeling more tears forming._

_"...Remember," she felt the boy carefully wipe a tear from her eye, then a pair of warm lips gently touch her cheek. She opened her eyes in surprise, looking at the boy as he pulled back with a smile. "I know that's your thing, but I felt like you deserved it. This kind of moment, I mean."_

_"...Dummy..." the girl began laughing quietly, the boy giving her a confused look. "It's not my thing, it's a girl thing. You're pretty dumb for not knowing that," the boy smiled, feeling relieved as the brunette was finally giving the smile he loved._

_"Leaf, dear!" the woman called from the seat's window, smiling as she looked at the two kids a short distance away._

_"I guess we're leaving now..." she frowned again, closing her eyes. The boy frowned, thinking she was going to repeat earlier, but felt relieved as she smiled at him. "I'll never forget you, Ash..."_

_"I'll never forget you, Leaf...Always in my heart..." he crossed his finger over his chest, the girl nodding with a warm smile._

_"Goodbye..." she whispered, leaning forward. The boy expected a kiss on his cheek, but was surprised as her lips touched his. The girl pulled away after a few moments, wrapping her arms around his neck again. "I love you," she whispered into his ear._

_"...I love you, too," he whispered, wrapping his arms around the girl again. The two parted, smiling as the brunette walked towards the vehicle, opening the side door and closing it behind her._

_"I guess we're off," the man pressed his foot onto the pedal, the vehicle moving forward and slowly gaining speed down the path. The brunette opened the window, poking her head and arm out. The boy noticed this, quickly hurrying after the vehicle and managing to keep up._

_"Leaf! Don't forget our promise!" he called, waving his arm as he struggled to keep up._

_"I won't! I'll miss you, Ash!" she called back, waving her arm out the window._

_"I'll miss you, too!" he called out, beginning to breath heavier as the vehicle went faster._

_"Ash! My feelings for you will never change! Remember that for when we see each other again!" she called, the boy beginning to fall back._

_"Yeah! I will!" he called louder, the vehicle beginning to pull further ahead. He began to slow down, stopping on the spot as he panted, watching the van slowly disappear._

_"Goodbyyyye, Aaaash!" the girl's voice rang out down the long path, the boy smiling as he waved his arm in the air._

_"Goodbye...Leaf..."_

* * *

><p>"So that's how you two separated..." Brendan said quietly, the trainer giving a nod. "...I didn't expect that...Sorry for bringing this up so suddenly..."<p>

"It's nothing, don't worry about it," Ash replied, giving a sigh as he leaned his head against the tree. "The past is the past...It can't be changed..."

"So, just out of curiosity...Was that your first real kiss?" Brendan asked.

"...Yeah, I guess it was," he replied, the Hoenn-native giving a nod. "It might not be a romantic scene or anything like that, but it still happened."

"The scene doesn't matter, as long as both of you will remember it," Brendan told him, giving a smile. "Trust me, I know that."

"How?" Ask asked, looking oddly at him. His cheeks flushed pink again, looking away. "Why do you keep doing that?"

"I...uh...Continue," the raven-haired trainer sighed, closing his eyes again.

"What else am I supposed to say? That's about it," he told him, shrugging his shoulders.

"Really? Well, I guess that actually was a lot to take in, it just doesn't seem like much," Brendan scratched his chin, looking into the sky. "So you two loved each other...Were basically a couple...Then separated, but promised to always love and remember each other?"

"It's stupid, I know..." Ash muttered, rubbing the arch between his eyes.

"And now you're afraid of doing this all again, because of what others might think?" Brendan asked, arching en eyebrow as the trainer sighed, hitting the back of his head against the tree. "...Not to judge you, but that's kind of lame."

"Do you know what this situation is like? It's more stressful than you think, you're afraid to make a mistake and end it completely," Ash stated, the Hoenn trainer giving a nod.

"I get that, but the whole scared-of-getting-together-again thing is still dumb. You know you can't get through this in fear, you're going to have to stand up sometime," Brendan told him, crossing his arms behind his head.

"I've lived my journey through fear, I think I've got that out of my system," Ash told him.

"Then what's keeping you from getting together with Leaf?" Brendan asked, looking at him in confusion.

"...Well, not exactly fear, but...Anxiety," the Hoenn trainer looked oddly at him, the trainer giving a quiet sigh. "We both know Leaf is a girl, so it's in her nature to...Flirt, and all that."

"Yeah, she's been doing that with you this entire time," Brendan told him plainly, closing his eyes as he leaned back against the tree.

"And that's what confuses me. If we do get...Together again, what kind of relationship will that be? will we be clouded by paparazzi and answering questions, or just holding hands and having a good time?" Ash asked, Brendan chuckling.

"...Sorry I can't be any help here, but that's something for you to decide when the time comes," Ash watched Brendan stand, offering a hand to him. "Come on, your words are safe with me."

"...Thanks," Brendan pulled the trainer up, the two smiling. "I appreciate this, I guess I did need to get some of that off my chest."

"It always helps," Brendan chuckled, putting his hand on his shoulder. "When you do tell her your feelings again, I'll be here for you."

"Thanks, you're a good guy," Ash told him, the Hoenn-native giving a nod.

"Just don't wait too long, everyone's going crazy around here because of you two," Ash frowned as he disappeared through the trees laughing, the raven-haired trainer sighing as he crossed his arms. He heard the bushes rustling again, but shrugged as he dropped to his knees, moving into the tent.

* * *

><p>"When you said you had an interesting past, that's putting it lightly to what I just heard."<p>

"I know, but it's still embarrassing. I didn't think he would bring up that day so easily..."

"Well, I guess I got the information I needed. It'll take a little while, but I'll come up with something."

"Thanks, Brendan. I really appreciate this."

"No problem, Leaf. Helping others is what I do best," he smiled, walking away from the brunette. She smiled, wiping a tear from her eye.

"He really did remember...He never forgot..." she held a fist to her chest, smiling.

"What's that look about?" she looked over, surprised to see Hilbert coming up behind her with arms behind his head. "You seem happier than usual, like something happened."

"Nope, you must be imagining it," she told him happily, holding her hands behind her back. "So what are you up to?"

"Nothing much, just wandering. It's kind of boring around here," he shrugged, looking around the center lobby. "Oh, that reminds me. I wanted to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it?" she asked, waiting patiently.

"The tournament's almost over, and you'll either have to face Hilda or Ash soon," the brunette frowned. "I was wondering how you were feeling about it. I know it can get kind of weird when you're going against a friend."

"...I'm fine, really," she told him, giving another smile. "Going against friends can be difficult, but we all knew we would be going against each other eventually. It can't be avoided."

"That's true, but I was still concerned," he told her, the brunette looking confused. "You just met Hilda, so it might not affect you very much. But going against Ash, you two were childhood friends."

"...Yes, but I'll be fine," the brunette's expression lightened, the man arching an eyebrow. "I don't know if you've heard about it yet, but me and Ash had a promise when we were kids."

"I don't think I have," he replied, unable to think of anything related.

"We couldn't wait to become trainers, and we were very competitive. We promised to be the best two trainers, and neither of us have forgotten it," she explained, holding a hand to her chest as her cheeks turned pink. "We promised to battle each other in the future, and now this competition will be that battle. We'll battle here and now, and decide who's the real pokemon master."

"...That does sound like Ash," the man closed his eyes, giving a smile. "...When you two battle, good luck. You've got a fan in me."

"Won't you root for Ash?" she asked.

"Nah, he's got enough support in himself," he chuckled, moving past her. "When you do battle, don't go easy on him. I know for a fact your friendship won't affect his battling."

"Thanks, Hilbert," she smiled, the man waving back as the doors closed behind him.

* * *

><p>"Where is everyone...?" Zo asked, looking around the unpopulated battle areas. "Not the mall, and not here..."<p>

"Hey, Zo!" she turned around, relieved to see a familiar face at last.

"Hilda, do you know where everyone is? It's like a ghost-town or something," she told the brunette.

"Yeah, since the competition's almost over, these battlefields aren't exactly being used as often. You know...I'm not even sure how many people are left now," Hilda said, a puzzled look on her face.

"It can't be that many, if there's no battles going on. Come on, let's go check the lake," Zo grabbed the girl's hand, pulling her towards the entrance.

"Hey, Zo! Ease up, my arm's gonna fall off at this rate!"

"Biologically impossible."

"Look at you, Miss Fancy-Words..."

* * *

><p>"Can't get to sleep, so what else is there...?" Ash asked himself, scratching his head as he looked around the central area. Surprised, he noticed a familiar brunette stepping through the center's doorway. "Leaf?"<p>

"Oh, Ash!" the brunette smiled, noticing the trainer a short distance away.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked, crossing his arms as he moved towards her.

"Nothing, just kind of...Wandering, waiting for a battle," she replied, smiling.

"Yeah, I was just...Checking the schedule," he told her, realizing he had something to do.

"Oh, I guess I didn't even check myself," the brunette giggled to herself, the trainer giving a smile. The brunette stepped back inside, followed by the trainer right to the board.

"So do you know where anyone else is?" Ash asked, looking at the brunette.

"I just saw Hilbert a few minutes ago, but I don't know where he went," she replied, looking at him. The trainer nodded, both looking at the board. They were surprised at what they saw.

"Is this the actual schedule?"

"I'm not even sure."

"Oh hello, you two," they noticed the pink-haired nurse approaching them, noticing their surprised looks. "Are you surprised? I've had that from others coming in here, you're not the first."

"So this is the _real_ thing?" the brunette asked, blinking.

"Yep. It's not much to look at, but this is it," the nurse smiled, the trainers looking at each other in surprise. Looking back at the board, they read the only four names left on the list, now in bigger letters.

"Leaf..."

"Ash..."

"Hilda..."

"Red..."

**END**

**No more answers from this mouth. Like I said, going to Toronto for the next few days. I'll try to update when I get back!**

**Who will Zo and Hilda find at the lake? Discussions?  
>What will Hilbert and Brendan do?<br>What will be the matchups of the semi-finals?  
>Who will continue to the finals?<strong>

**R&R, have fun, don't miss me. And don't fill my inbox. See ya!  
><strong>


	44. Chapter 44

**Got back around 9 last night, I couldn't even sleep on the bus because everyone's jumping and screaming. I was **_**so**_** close to slappin' some mother- You get it. Anyway, it was out of the question to type last night, so I did it now. Fun time begins.  
>Also, I think the ending of last chapter confused a few people. They way I listed them was <strong>_**not**_** the battles. The half-time battle between Alder and Cynthia was only to determine the **_**final final**_** battle at the end, Cynthia wasn't technically in the tournament.**

"What was the point of this again?" Hilda asked, looking oddly at the girl situated in front of her. The girl looked back, the pair riding on a large condor-like figure.

"Looking for the others, it's freaking me out that they're all gone. It's like they died or something," Zo told the brunette, the girl rolling her eyes.

"And why didn't you just transform and fly me there instead of having to use Mandibuzz?" she asked, looking concerned at the head of her bird.

"Lazy."

"Should've seen that coming," she muttered, noticing the large body of water growing larger beneath them. "Mandibuzz, take us down," the bird obeyed, descending to the ground and landing softly, the girls jumping off its back.

"Thanks, Mandibuzz!" Zo exclaimed, smiling to the bird. It nodded, disappearing into the red beam of light and the sphere slipping into Hilda's pocket. "Alright, to the lakeside!"

"Alright, alright," the brunette said, calming the girl down as they began towards the edge. Stepping through the last of the brush, they were surprised at what they saw.

"Hey, quit it!"

"It's water! You're supposed to splash people when you're in water!"

"May? Dawn?"

"Oh! Hey, Hilda! And Zo, too!"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe there's only the four of us left..." Leaf said, looking at the trainer beside her.<p>

"I know, it actually snuck up on me," he replied, the pair stepping through the doorway to the outside world. "What time was that speech again?"

"It said later tonight, Goodshow must want to make a dramatic entrance to the semi-finals before the battles begin tomorrow," Ash told her, the brunette giving a nod and smile.

"Well, I'm just glad they start tomorrow. I can't battle today, there's too much on my mind," she stretched her arm behind her head.

"What's on your mind?" the brunette stumbled, surprised at his question.

"I...uh...Oh, nothing important. Really, it's nothing," she stammered, giving a nervous smile. The boy arched an eyebrow, the girl feeling more nervous as he looked at her. "...I...Ah...Well, I gotta go...Be somewhere!"

"One second," she cringed, nervous as she slowly looked back at him.

"Y...Yes?" she stuttered, the trainer looking at her intently.

"...Slow down a bit, you're only gonna hurt yourself," she looked confused as the trainer walked past her plainly, disappearing through the trees.

* * *

><p>"Man...Ten minutes late..." Hilbert muttered, looking around with a frown. Impatiently tapping his toes, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed as he waited.<p>

"Sorry about the time," he noticed the Sinnoh-native walking towards him, hands in his pockets. "I almost forgot, but I still can't help but wonder why you asked me here."

"I wanted to try a little something, but we still have someone else to wait for," he told him, the Sinnoh trainer giving an odd look.

"Who?" he asked, hearing footsteps nearby.

"Sorry, I lost track of time," the Hoenn-native apologized, hands in his pockets. "So, what's this about?"

"Since you two clearly haven't realized it, I'll tell you," Hilbert told them.

"What are you talking about?" Paul asked.

"We all have something in common," Hilbert responded.

"And what's that?" Brendan asked.

"We're the most mature of anyone here. Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Hope Marshal doesn't mind..." Ash told himself, smirking as he looked at the cave entrance in front of him. He double-checked his belt and pockets, then stepped inside. Surprised, he found four figures sitting in the back around the corner. "What? You're all <em>here<em>?"

"Oh, Ketchum," Marshal looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"I came here for training, being a good spot and all, but apparently it's now a meeting place," he replied, stepping closer to them.

"Not necessarily, we were only discussing a matter on our minds," Shauntal stated, arms folded over her chest with a notebook and pen.

"What about?" the trainer asked.

"Hilbert's matter of you and your girl troubles," the Kanto-native sighed, lowering his head and closing his eyes.

"You never give up, do you?" he asked, leaning against the cavern wall.

"Please, sit. We would love for you to join us," Caitlin told him, giving a smile. He hesitated, then sat down against the wall near Marshal.

"Now, how do you think you're doing with this situation?" Grimsley asked, the trainer shrugging his shoulders.

"Nothing was wrong in the first place," he replied, the four older figures looking at each other.

"How does your heart feel about them?"

"I like all of them."

"So this whole time, we've been dealing with a player?"

"As _friends_."

"Don't you have any deeper feelings for any of them? They're all very attractive."

"Not really. I admit they have grown very well, but that won't make me perverted like Hilbert."

"Oh, speaking of which, what's the change between Hilbert and Hilda?"

"Nothing, unfortunately. Me and Zo have been trying, but those two won't admit it aloud."

"They have been stubborn since I've known them," Shauntal stated, the others giving a nod. "So, Ash, I only have one more question for you."

"What is it?" he asked, the four looking at him intently.

"Out of the three, which would you_ want_ to have deeper feelings for?"

"...Frick..." he muttered, giving a sigh as he rubbed the archway between his eyes. He took a deep breath, looking at the cave's ceiling. "...Honestly..."

"Yes?"

"...No idea."

"You're almost as hopeless as Hilbert," Caitlin giggled, holding her hand over her mouth with a smile. "It's a simple question, there's nothing difficult about it."

"Then who would you rather choose, Marshal or Grimsley?" Ash asked, smirking at the blonde Elite. She frowned, the two men glancing at each other.

"...Okay, you have a point. But these three young, beautiful girls love you with honest and pure intentions," Caitlin told him, smiling.

"Except maybe the blunette, we think she's leaning towards your body," the bulky man stated, the trainer glancing down at his chest. "But the two brunettes, there is no mistaking true love in their hearts."

"That doesn't help, you know..." Ash sighed again, frowning as he looked at the blonde-haired woman again. "I feel like you guys are planning something right now, even though I'm here."

"I've got nothing yet, but I will," Ash frowned at Grimsley's words, the man giving a chuckle. "You're still young, you won't have to decide right away. You'll want to take time to think about your choice."

"Why do I have to choose between these three, anyway? What if I never get with them and there's another - I hate myself for saying it - love of my life, somewhere else?" he asked, shuddering at his words.

"There is always that case, but we can guarantee that won't be necessary in your future," Shauntal told him, giving a supporting smile. "The love in these three are stronger than we've ever seen, more than even Hilbert and Hilda. Once you choose, we can tell you that will be final."

"How can you be so positive on this? What if you're wrong?" Ash asked, crossing his arms.

"We're growing old, we have to give our advice somehow," Grimsley told him, crossing his arms.

"You're not that old."

"How old would you say Caitlin is?"

"No worries, I won't be offended."

"I would guess...Late 20s? Early 30s?"

"Thank you very much, you're so kind. But you would be surprised."

* * *

><p>"Why are we staying here?" Hilda asked, looking at the girl behind her.<p>

"Because it's Dawn and May, we can help Ash with his little problem," Zo responded, giving the girl a smile.

"You mean the biggest problem of this fic?"

"What? Quit speaking crazy, I mean his girl troubles."

"That's what I - Freak, never mind."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged, the pair stopping in a small clearing. Hilda reached into her bag, rummaging through her stuff.

"Now where - Oh, here it is!" she smiled, pulling out a special fabric. She turned around, surprised to see Zo looking different. "How the heck did you change so fast?"

"This is my skin, remember? I _transform_, I don't have to change clothes."

"Ah, forgot about that. Anyway, go ahead, I'll be back in a minute."

* * *

><p>"So where are we going?" Brendan asked, looking oddly at the man in front of him.<p>

"Since we're mature, we will bond like men," Hilbert told them, arms behind his head as he smiled.

"He's gone nuts," Paul whispered, the pair behind Hilbert nodding to each other.

"No doubt," Brendan replied quietly, something catching his eye. "Oh, Leaf!"

"Huh? Brendan?" the brunette asked, turning around from where she was standing. She walked towards him, smiling. "What are you up to now?"

"This lunatic's leading us somewhere, he won't say anything," he pointed to Hilbert, who continued without realizing the Hoenn trainer stopped.

"Hey, it's you again," Paul noticed the brunette, stopping beside them. "I've been meaning to talk to you."

"Hmm, what for?" she asked politely, smiling.

"What happened between you and Ash at the lake a while back?" the girl's face burned red, rivaling a fire-type's heat.

"W-What?" she stammered, stumbling back. "I...uh...I gotta...See ya!"

"What was that about?" Brendan asked, watching the brunette run away at full speed.

"Must be something big, if that's her reaction. Or it's some infection from Troublesome," Paul shrugged, Brendan giving him a sly look.

"Hey, what are you two doing back there!"

* * *

><p>"That's so not right..." Ash muttered, eyes slightly wide as he stepped out of the cave. he glanced back, not believing earlier. "...That can't be her real age...They're just messing with me..." he told himself, nodding as he moved south through the trees. He passed several small bug-type pokemon hiding in the trees, small flocks of pidoves and tranquills flying overhead with happy chirps. He smiled to himself, hands in his pockets as he continued. Suddenly, he stopped, looking around with a puzzled expression. "Hold on...Where am I...?"<p>

"Hey, stop that!"

"Wait a second..." he muttered to himself, stepping cautiously through the trees towards the source of the voice. It sounded close...And familiar...

"I'm not saying! You can't make me!"

"I'll regret this..." Ash sighed to himself, taking a deep breath before stepping further through the trees.

"Wait, did you hear that?"

"I guess I can't sneak as good as I used to," Ash stated, four distinct gasps afterwards.

"A-Ash! Do _not_ get closer! Leave!"

"What? Why?" he asked, puzzled as he looked at a peacefully-sleeping bird on a branch behind him.

"Just leave! Go away! If you come closer, you're _dead_!"

"Alright, alright!" he turned around, shaking his head in confusion as he sighed, walking back the way he came. "What's their problem...?"

* * *

><p>"We should have a little carnival or something..." Leaf said to herself, frowning as she looked around the boring familiar area. She sighed quietly, crossing her arms and closing her eyes in thought. Startled, she bumped into something. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was just thinking-"<p>

"No problem, it's common," she was surprised at the familiar deep voice, opening her eyes and looking at the figure in front of her. Her mood dropping as she didn't see Ash, she was still curious as she looked at the man. He wore a red vest with an open white collar and trims on the short sleeves, a black undershirt and regular blue jeans, as well as black and red sneakers and black fingerless gloves. But what caught her attention wasn't his clothes.

"Hold on..." she said quietly, getting a clear look at his face. He wore a red cap with a white stripe across the front, but most noticeable was his face. His jet-black hair poked out from beneath the hat in spikes, and his facial expressions were plain. If Leaf wasn't sane, she would have thought he was Ash. "I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else..."

* * *

><p>"Wow, that was close..." Hilda sighed, standing again in the water. The four girls were in the water, each giving relieving sighs as the trainer walked away from them moments prior.<p>

"Yeah, I would probably faint if he saw me like this..." May muttered, frowning as she splashed the blunette again.

"Hey!"

"Now we're even," the two exchanged a glare, Hilda and Zo watching in amusement.

"Anyway, back to before..." everyone looked at Dawn, who swam over to Hilda with a smile. "Where did you get this swimsuit!"

"Oh, this thing?" Hilda asked, looking down. The brunette wore a black two-piece bikini.

"Yeah, it's really cute!" Dawn told her, smiling. She wore a light blue two-piece bikini, her top tighter than the brunette's.

"I agree, where did you get it?" May asked, wearing a two-piece light red bikini which left little to the imagination of the brunette's chest.

"It was a little place I remembered a while back, but...I'm usually not comfortable wearing stuff like this..." Hilda's cheeks flushed pink, crossing her arms underwater.

"But you wear short-shorts all the time."

"Well, that's different. To me, anyway."

"Alright, what about you, Zo?"

"Me?" Zo asked, surprised. Not really wearing clothing, but her appearance was red in a two-piece form, a deeper shade than May's. "I...Got it with Hilda. Yeah, we do go way back."

"We sure do," Hilda laughed, smiling. "Which reminds me, what were you guys and Ash like? Back before he left?"

"Us and Ash?" Dawn asked, looking at May. "Well...We were all really close friends. He was the one to help me on my journey, helping me train with every contest I entered and supporting me."

"I was the same, he always helped me train and supported me the whole way through. We were both starting our journeys when we met him, I was earlier, though," the blunette nodded at the brunette's words.

"So you were both really close to Ash? Why didn't you ever make a move on him back then?" the pair blushed, shaking their heads.

"Believe me, I left him more than you could imagine," the brunette stated, the blunette nodding in agreement. "He was as dense in love as a caterpie is to what flying-types are."

"Strange metaphor...But okay. So you hinted to him you had feelings, but he never understood?" Hilda asked, the girls nodding. "Huh...That sure sounds like Ash."

"It was a real pain traveling with someone as dense as him, but...In a way, that made it more fun," the blunette looked at her reflection in the water, smiling. "Trying to get someone that dense to take a notice in women, that would have been a great thing to achieve. Unfortunately, I could never get through to him, but I'm pretty sure I was close."

"I bet I was closer," the brunette boasted proudly, earning a splash in response. "Besides, I traveled with him through Hoenn and Kanto. Where have you been with him?"

"I was through Sinnoh, which is much larger than either of those regions," the blunette told her, smiling proudly. "Besides, I visited him in Unova. We had a great time by the beach."

"What beach?" the brunette asked, looking suspiciously at her.

"Oh, I never told you? I was with him in Eastern Unova, in a little town near Lacunosa. It's naturally by the beach-side, so it was really beautiful when we were on the beach, swimming and tanning together," the blunette explained, smiling happily as the brunette glared at her.

"But you were never alone, were you?" she asked, the blunette frowning.

"...Yeah, Iris and Cilan were always with us. Also Cynthia," she grumbled, crossing her arms under her chest with a frown. The brunette smiled.

"That's what I wanted to hear. If Ash ever went alone with you on the beach, he would probably lose his mind," the brunette stated, smiling. The brunette looked at her, glaring.

"What was that?" she asked quietly in a threatening tone.

"Your stupid hair would be lost in the water, he would probably forget you for an ice cream cone."

"That's _it_!" she lunged at the brunette, tackling her underwater with a large splash. Hilda and Zo blinked, watching them submerge every few seconds for air or throwing each other up.

"...Uh...What's happening?" Hilda asked.

"No idea, but when I pictured them cat-fighting...I wouldn't have guessed it would be like this..." Zo responded, the brunette looking oddly at her.

"Really? _That's_ what you take from this?" she asked, the pokemon giving a shrug. She sighed, shaking her head. Hearing gasps for air, they noticed the pair had surfaced again, breathing heavily as they glared angrily at each other.

"I've had enough of your stupid remarks...About my hair..." Dawn panted.

"And I've had enough of your talking...About your imaginary moments with Ash..." May panted.

"They were not _imaginary_!" Hilda and Zo watched her lunge again, both disappearing beneath the water's surface.

"They're fighting this much over a little bragging?" Hilda asked, looking at the girl beside her.

"They're talking about who had more special time with Ash, everyone knows not to mess with a girl in love, let alone two in love with the same guy," Zo explained, the brunette giving a nod.

"I get it now, but it still seems a little much, don't you think?" she asked.

"I don't understand human concepts of love and romance, so I wouldn't exactly know this," Zo told her, the brunette giving a strange look.

"You tease Ash and Leaf all the time, and me and Hilbert too. How do you understand that?"

"Eh, it just came to me after a few days. Mostly from Ash with you and the pervert."

"Hey, you can't call him a pervert. Only I can."

"So you're defending him now?"

"No, it's _my_ name for him."

"Pfft, nicknames are for lovers."

"Shut up, Zo!"

"Wow, you can really distance your voice," Zo said, surprised as she looked at the brunette. She had her head half-under the water, looking oddly at her. She lifted her head up.

"What do you mean?" she asked, blinking in confusion.

"Wait...That wasn't you?" she shook her head. "...Actually...I guess that did sound like a guy..."

"Zo!"

"Now I'm not hearing things," Zo's head snapped up as well as Hilda's, both looking towards the trees. "Please tell me-"

"There you are!" their eyes widened, watching Hilbert step through the trees. Noticing they were in the water, his eyes widened. "Oh, am I walking in on a bath or something? Sorry, I'll leave."

"You _better_," Hilda said threateningly, the man giving a gulp as he turned around. The girls' eyes widening further, Brendan and Paul stepped past him.

"Is this where- Oh, no..." Brendan's eyes widened, noticing Zo and Hilda. "I'll leave, don't hit me. Blame Hilbert, he forced us here without telling us why."

"Hey!"

"Let's go," Paul grabbed the other two's arms, dragging them back towards the trees. Confused as a loud splash was heard, their instincts kicked in for the worse. They turned around.

"_A-ha!_ Got your swimsuit!"

"I got yours, too!"

"_Arceus_..." the three men's eyes widened to the painfully max, seeing the brunette and blunette both at neck-height in the water, holding a blue and red bikini top above their heads respectively. They looked towards the men, staring blankly a few seconds then their eyes widened. Paul and Brendan wanted to look away, knowing their life depended on it, but their manly side got the better of them as their eyes were glued to the girls.

"AAAAHH! You guys are _DEAD_!"

"Paul, Hilbert! Let's go!"

"Yeah, for our- Hey, Hilbert?"

"_Every man for himself!_"

* * *

><p>"Wait..." Ash stopped, looking oddly at the ground. Pausing for a few moments, he shook his head. "...Thought it was shaking...Must be imagining things again..."<p>

"Oh, Mr. Ketchum," he looked at the pink-haired nurse walking towards him, smiling. "There you are, I've been looking for you."

"Sorry, I was trying to train a distance from here," the woman shook her head.

"No worries, I had something for you," she held her hand out, smiling happily. he carefully took the item from her hand, looking into his own hand and recognizing it.

"Where did you get this?" he asked, looking at the small white box.

"You dropped this in the lobby earlier, I felt that it was important to you, judging by the box," she looked curiously at the box. "I know you had romantic problems, but don't you think this will give a few heartbreaks?"

"It's not like that, I assure you," he told her, pocketing the box. "It was something from the past, nothing important."

"Oh well, that would have been interesting," she frowned, turning away from him with a wave. "Take care, Mr. Ketchum."

"I thought I said to stop calling me that..." he muttered, shaking his head with a smile as he watched the woman disappear into the building. He turned, heading towards the campsite. As he reached the edge of the brush, something caught the side of his eye. Looking around towards the back of the building, he noticed Leaf talking to herself. "Leaf?" he walked towards her, confused as he watched her talk and make hand gestures as she stood alone. More confused as he went, his curiosity was put to rest as he got close enough to see another figure beside her around the corner. "Leaf?"

"Huh? Oh, Ash!" she gasped, noticing the trainer walking towards her. She glanced at the figure beside her, watching him with a smile as he approached her.

"Hey, I thought you were finally going crazy. Looked like you were talking to yourself," Ash told her, smirking.

"Ha ha, very funny," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "I was actually having an interesting conversation."

"Oh?" he looked at the man beside her, noticing he stood barely an inch or two over him. "Sorry to interrupt."

"No worries. You must be the Ash I've heard about," the raven-haired trainer looked suspiciously at him, the brunette taking notice and stepping between them.

"I told him about you, you're a powerful trainer and you're not much for social activity," she said, facing him with a stern eye and gentle smile.

"Really..." Ash looked curiously at the man, noticing his piercing eyes and jet-black hair. "...Sort of like a mirror."

"Yeah, it was really weird how we met. I was thinking and kinda bumped into him, I almost thought he was you but he seemed different somehow," the brunette stated, smiling.

"I haven't really been in society for quite some time, so I'm a bit rusty with talking to others," the man told them, the girl giving a giggle.

"Sounds like Ash. He's been living in secret on an island for five years," Leaf told him, the man looking at him.

"Is that true?" Ash nodded, the man sounding surprised. "What was your motive?"

"It's a little stupid to say," Ash said, frowning.

"No worries, I won't force you. Miss Leaf," he looked back at the brunette, who frowned.

"I said you could just call me Leaf. I have to tell everyone that..." she shook her head in amusement with a quiet sigh, Ash giving her a suspicious look.

"I'm sorry, Leaf. I was meaning to ask you a question from before," he looked momentarily at Ash, then back at the brunette which the Kanto trainer noticed.

"Oh, okay," Leaf frowned, looking at Ash. "Could we have a few more minutes alone?"

"...No problem, take the time you need," Ash said, the brunette giving a smile. He turned away, looking at the man with her intently before walking away.

"So he is the same Ash in the semi-finals..." the man said, looking at the girl.

"Yep, the one and only. he really is a unique kind of person," she said happily.

"You seem rather fond of him, are you two...Perhaps...?" the girl blushed, shaking her head.

"No, we're just close friends," the brunette told him, the man giving a frown. "We've been mistaken for a couple many times, but it's a little more complicated than that."

"But you do have feelings for him, no?" the girl hesitated, then nodded. "So if your feelings surpass friendship, why not take the opportunity to further yourselves together?"

"...I wish it were that easy..." she laughed quietly, smiling as she looked at the man. "I've actually already confessed to him, many times, really. We were a lot closer as kids, but now it's kind of a distant relationship."

"So you were a couple, broke up and met again later?" the brunette nodded. "If that's the case, then take the chance. Find a way to truly reach his heart as you did when you were younger, and make that your chance to strengthen your relationship again."

"...You know, you're a really smart guy," she smiled, the man giving a smirk. "Thanks for this talk, I'll be sure to take your advice soon."

"My pleasure, you're one of the first people I've talked to in many years," he told her, the girl beginning to laugh.

"I've heard that before," she giggled, smiling. The man turned away, the brunette giving a frown.

"I've got somewhere to be, but I'll be around," he waved, walking away from her.

"I'll see you later!" she called, watching the man disappear around the corner. She smiled, hurrying back towards her raven-haired friend. Looking around the central area oddly, she disappeared through the trees in search of him. Entering the campsite, she frowned as the trainer was nowhere in sight. "...Where is he...?"

"Done already?" she smiled, the man emerging from the tent. "What was that about?"

"Just a little talk," she said cheerfully, moving towards her tent.

"You two seemed pretty friendly, did you know him from before?" Ash asked, the brunette shaking her head.

"No, I only met him a while ago...Come to think of it, I forgot to ask his name," she tapped her chin, frowning.

"I'm sure you'll meet again, you were talking pretty friendly with him," Ash said, the mouse emerging from the tent behind him.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking at him oddly as she sat in front of her tent.

"I'm just saying, you weren't that friendly with Hilbert when you first talked to him. I was only observing," Ash told her, the brunette looking at him curiously.

"...You're not _jealous_, are you?" she asked, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

"No, why would I be? You're a human being, you can choose for yourself who you want to talk with," Ash stated, frowning as he watched the mouse crawl up onto his shoulder. "Besides, he's just a random guy you met."

"Hey, he was a very nice guy," she said, frowning with her hands on her hips. "Why are you so negative about him? Is this how you are when you're jealous?"

"No, it is not. I'm only saying you just met him, and you were talking like best friends. I'm only observing, it's human behavior," he told her, the brunette looking at him suspiciously.

"No, human behavior is making friends with others and not being mean. If you're like that, then what are you?" she asked, the trainer giving a sigh as he closed his eyes.

"I don't know, what am I, then?" he asked, the brunette giving a frown. "You don't know, I don't know, I guess we're stuck in a loop of guesses."

"...You know, you haven't been like this the entire tournament. Except when you were talking with Brendan after we went shopping," the brunette said, the trainer smirking.

"So you were eavesdropping, then," the girl's eyes widened, covering her mouth. "I knew it seemed suspicious."

"...Fine, I was listening. But that's not the point here," she told him, crossing her arms as she leaned on her side. "What's the point is that this and that were similar attitudes, and we both know what it is."

"I've lost you, what were you saying?" he asked, opening his eyes again.

"Ash, this isn't you. Why are you like this?" she asked, feeling concerned.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I'm just being myself," he stated, crossing his arms.

"Ash, you're jealous. You were jealous of me shopping alone with Brendan, now you're jealous of me having a simple _talk_ with a nice guy I just met," she told him, the trainer closing his eyes again. "Please, you don't have to worry about it. I don't even know his name."

"When you meet again, you will. And that will probably be soon," the girl frowned, puffing her cheeks as she stood again. he opened his eyes, watching her.

"Is that so?" he nodded, the girl putting her hands on her hips. "Well, if I'm so bad for wanting to make friends and have nice talks, then _shame_ on me," he watched the brunette walk towards the tree, stopping at the edge but not looking back. "Goodshow's speech is coming up soon, you have to be there since you're in the semi-finals."

"Fine," he said plainly, closing his eyes again. She frowned, disappearing through the brush and leaving the trainer alone. The mouse looked at where the brunette disappeared, then at his trainer's face in concern.

"_Pikapi_..."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe him...He has the nerve..." she muttered, kicking a small stone across the dirt as she walked towards the battle areas. Suddenly, a familiar figure burst from the bushes.<p>

"Where is he!" she exclaimed, looking around with anger burning in her eyes.

"Hilda?" Leaf blinked in confusion, the girl calming down as she saw her.

"Oh hey, Leaf, what's up?" she looked around, confusing the girl. "You haven't seen Hilbert around, have you?"

"No, not for a while. Why?" Leaf asked, the brunette shaking her head.

"He's just late for a little meeting with my foot. Again," she sighed, crossing her arms. "So where you headed?"

"The speech from Goodshow," Hilda looked confused. "You didn't hear about it? Come on, you have to go!"

"What? Why?" she asked, the girl pulling her arm towards the battle areas.

"The semi-finalists have to be there, since it's about us," Leaf told her, looking ahead towards the statue.

"Wait, then where's Ash?" Hilda asked, the brunette frowning.

"I told him, he'll be there soon," she replied, Hilda looking oddly at her.

"That didn't seem like your cheerful response...Hold it," she pulled her back, looking closely in her eyes. "What happened?"

"Nothing," she responded, looking at the statue. "Come on, we're gonna be late."

"You two had a fight, didn't you?" Hilda asked, the brunette not returning eye contact. "What did you fight about?"

"We didn't fight...It was a little disagreement," Leaf told her, the brunette arching an eyebrow.

"That's the same thing. Come on, what about?" she inquired, Leaf looking at her. She frowned.

"...He was mad at me for talking to someone," she told her, the older girl giving a funny look.

"For _talking_? Who was it?" she asked.

"Someone I just met, I never got his name," Leaf responded, Hilda catching each word.

"_His_? Oh...Ash must be jealous..." the girl nodded, Hilda tapping her nose with her thumb in thought. "...This will be difficult..."

"What?" Leaf asked, looking confused.

"I've never had a case of jealous with Ash before, so I don't know how he behaves or what his weaknesses are. I'm sorry, but I'm not really a help in this situation," Hilda told her, Leaf frowned as she lowered her head. Hilda looked at her with concern, her lips perking up. "...But I'll try my best to help."

"Y...You will?" Leaf asked, looking at her with hopeful eyes. She smiled, nodding.

"Friends help each other, right?" the pair laughed weakly, both smiling.

"...Thanks, Hilda."

"Don't worry about it. Now come on, we'll be late for this meeting," the pair nodded, smiling as they walked towards the statue. The small man stood around the side, smiling beneath his large beard as he noticed the girls.

"Oh, our semi-finalists! But there's only two of you, where are the other two?" he asked, the girls smiling.

"I'm sure they'll be here," Leaf told him.

"Don't worry, they could never miss something like this," Hilda added, the man giving a nod.

"I will give a few more minutes, then I will call everyone here for the announcement," the girls nodded, walking around the side of the statue and resting against the side.

"He'll be here, don't worry. There's no way Ash would miss a celebration about himself," Hilda laughed, reassuring the girl.

"Yeah, you're right. I just hope he'll get over this soon..." she held a fist to her chest, looking at the ground with a frown. "...I can't believe only a few minutes ago, I was fighting with him..."

"It's okay, it won't affect your friendship," she looked at Hilda, who smiled. "I've fought with Ash on plenty of occasions, and look at us now."

"...I guess we did fight as kids, too," Leaf giggled, hearing a buzzing sound echo through the area.

"_Your attention, please. There will be a special announcement by the central statue, so head down if you're planning on watching the tournament."_

"Was that Goodshow just now?" Hilda asked, the girls standing and walking around the side of the statue. The brunettes smiled as they saw Ash standing near the statue with his hands in his pockets, but Leaf gasped as she noticed the other man.

"Wait..._You're_ Red?" she asked, the man looking towards her.

"Oh, Leaf. It's good to see you again," she looked at Ash, who looked in the opposite direction as everyone else.

"You know each other?" Hilda asked, looking between the two.

"You must be Hilda, no? Leaf and I met earlier today, actually," he stated, Hilda looking at Leaf.

"He's the guy?" she whispered, the brunette giving a nod. "Oh..."

"Is something wrong?" the man, Red, asked.

"Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I...I just remembered something, is all," Hilda told him, waving her wrist. She leaned closer to the brunette's ear. "I'll go talk to Ash, try not to seem like you're having a good time with him." she nodded, Hilda walked away from the pair towards the trainer by the statue. "Hey."

"Hey," he replied, not looking at her. She frowned, leaning beside him.

"...So...The semi-finals, huh? Seems like yesterday this tournament started, we've had an interesting ride," she laughed, looking at the trainer.

"Yeah," she frowned, looking at the ceiling.

"...I really hope we battle each other. I want to battle you again, but this time I'll win," she smiled, a determination lit in her chest. "You're probably hoping you're not against me, 'cause you know you'll lose."

"No," she frowned, crossing her arms.

"...You seem more depressing, somehow."

"You talked with Leaf, I can tell. You can cut the act."

"...Fine, she told me. Why are you so mad about something like this?"

"..."

"Not gonna answer, huh? Fine, have it your way. Just remember you're breaking her heart, you know you're her best friend."

"..."

"Not only that, but you're the one she trusts most. If she ever has to say something, or wants to have a good time, what will she do when you're not there to help her?"

"She's got that Red guy now, apparently she'll be just fine."

"Doesn't look like that to me."

"...What do you mean?" he finally turned his head, looking oddly at her. She gave an expectant look, nudging towards the pair a short distance from them. Ash looked and noticed Leaf with her arms crossed, frowning as Red talked to her and giving a short response every few seconds. Her eyes drifted over, meeting his. She looked away nervously, nodding to Red as she looked at the ground.

"Come on, Ash. You know you hate to see her like that, and she's only like that because you're not being yourself."

"But I am myself, this is who I am."

"No it's not, and we both know it. You may be cold-hearted when it comes to Hilbert, but you know you care for your friends. May, Dawn, Zo, even me...And definitely Leaf."

"..."

"You can be silent to me, but please talk to her. It would be messed up around here if you two didn't talk, it would be boring."

"...We entertain you?"

"Of course you do, are you kidding? Nobody but Zo knows about that _moment_ you had with her, and she still won't tell anyone! It's annoying to me, yes, but it's something to keep us occupied as the tournament goes through the slower parts!"

"...I...guess..."

"What do you guess? Come on, _say_ it."

"I...guess...You're right..."

"That's more like it. Come on, the people are gonna be here any second. If you want to make it right, do it now," she nudged his shoulder towards the brunette, still talking with Red.

"...I guess I can trust you for a wake-up call," Ash smiled, the girl's cheeks flushing pink.

"Go on, don't make me wait," she said, giving a smile.

"Thanks, Hilda," he walked towards the girl and man with a changed attitude. Hilda smiled, watching him walk away.

"Dense idiot..."

**END**

**I have the match-ups and battle order decided, so no use sending me requests. Ideas are okay, but I probably won't change my mind.**

**What are the match-ups?  
>Where is Hilbert, Paul and Brendan hiding?<br>How are May and Dawn planning to torture the guys?  
>What will Zo do to surprise everyone?<br>**

**R&R opinions, ideas and feedback. Every bit helps, even if you hate me for the furthershipping.  
><strong>


	45. Chapter 45

**Here's the next chapter, the speech and battle match-ups. The battle will be next chapter, this is going to be another kind of relationship-building chap. Sorry for the misconvenience.**

"Attention, everyone!" the small man spoke into the microphone, his voice booming over the quiet whispers and chats. Everyone immediately stopped, looking up at the man on the base of the statue. "I thank you all for coming here, and I am more than proud to present...The Arc Tournament's semi-finalists!"

"_There it goes..._" Hilda thought, wincing as the crowd burst into applause and shouting.

"First up...Hilda of Unova!" the girl smiled and waved as she stepped up to the mic stand.

"Thank you, it's a great feeling to get this far!" she said happily, stepping back in the line of the semi-finalists.

"Next...Ash of Kanto!" he stepped forward, giving a smirk as he stood with hands in his pockets.

"Thank you for the support I've gotten until this point, and I don't plan on letting you down," he said calmly, stepping back.

"Next up...Leaf of Kanto!" the brunette stepped forward, beaming as she waved.

"Thank you so much, I promise I'll win and make my friends and family proud!" she said cheerfully, stepping back.

"And finally...Red of Kanto!" the man stepped foward, fists at his sides with a plain expression.

"Thank you, I promise to make Kanto known for the best trainers in the world," he stated, smirking as he stepped back into line.

"And there you have it! The match-ups will be posted later tonight, and the first semi-final match will take place tomorrow, and the second match will be the following day. To the semi-finalists, I wish you the best of luck," the bearded-man stated, the four trainers giving a nod. Minutes passed as the crowd broke apart, disappearing through the entrance and leaving the area nearly empty.

"So tonight, we'll see who battles who..." Hilda said, the others nodding.

"Well, I just want to agree now for when we battle, no hard feelings to any of you," Leaf stated, smiling as she looked at the three individually.

"Likewise."

"That's what I came here to do."

"I'm not going lightly when I've gotten this far."

"Great! So how about a semi-finalists dinner?" she clasped her hands together, the other three looking at her oddly.

* * *

><p>"They can't hide forever..." May muttered, looking intently at her surroundings. Hearing a sound of static, she raised the talking device to her ear.<p>

"Brown-1, do you copy?" a family feminine voice asked, the brunette giving a sigh.

"Dawn, that can be racist," she told her.

"Shut up, this is fun. And it's not Dawn, it's Blue-1," she sighed again.

"That's stupid, I'm not using it," May told her, looking around as she reached her left arm down to the ground. "Find anything yet?"

"Negative, Brown-1. How's your end?" Dawn asked, the brunette lifting the soda bottle to her legs and holding the talking device with her shoulder.

"Nothing yet, there's just a giant crowd coming back from some kind of meeting," she responded, popping the cap on her bottle and raising it to her lips.

"Then shouldn't you be searching _in_ the crowd?" Dawn asked, the brunette lowering the bottle and swallowing the drink.

"Nah, I've got a perfect setup right here," she replied, smiling as she looked down at the lawn chair she was sitting on. "What are you doing, then?"

"I've got a hideout in the treetops," May looked oddly at the trees a short distance from her.

"How can you be in the trees? Those things are thin, they'll break any-"

*_Snap!*_

"Dawn?"

"AAH! OW!"

"Idiot..."

* * *

><p>"I hope Paul's okay...And Hilbert's already caught..." Brendan muttered, frowning as he kicked a small stone.<p>

"Brendan?"

"Gah!" he jumped, his feet stuttering as he fell to the ground on his back. he quickly slid back on the floor, hitting the wall before looking up. "Wait, Max?"

"Yeah, who else? What the heck is up with you?" the young boy asked, crossing his arms with a puzzled look.

"Uh...Relaxing," he said, standing again and brushing his pants.

"You're hiding."

"No."

"My sister?"

"No."

"Why?"

"No reason, I'm not hiding."

"What did you do to her?"

"Where the heck are you getting these things?" Brendan asked, looking strangely at the young boy.

"I'm a bright young mind," he shrugged, looking closely at the boy's face. "But really, what did you do?"

"I...uh...It's not good, I'll say that," he replied, looking away nervously.

"What, did you walk in on her naked or something?"

"..."

"...Oh, Arceus."

* * *

><p>"Damn you, Hilbert..." Paul muttered, fists clenched at his sides as he looked around the lowly-populated mall area. "...Pretty empty..."<p>

"Paul?"

"What?" his head spun around in fear, surprised as he saw two familiar figures. "Wait..."

"What are you doing?" Brock asked, looking oddly at him.

"Indeed, it is a rather suspicious flavor," Cilan added.

"I...Well, I'm avoiding someone," Paul told them, looking back over his shoulder nervously.

"Dawn?" Paul thought, then nodded. "I haven't seen you this afraid about it, what did she do?"

"She didn't do anything, and I am _not_ afraid," he responded, glancing back again. "...You could say I value my life."

"A better way to put it, yes," Cilan remarked. "If Dawn is troubling you, we will see if we can change her mind."

"I appreciate it, but I don't think that will work," the pair looked oddly at him. "Why she's after me...It's a little more than usual."

"What, did she flash you completely without meaning to?"

"..."

"..._Ooooh_..."

* * *

><p>"I'm going to ask again, why are we doing this?" Ash asked, looking oddly as the brunette walked ahead of them.<p>

"Because we are very special trainers, and we should become good friends before we battle it out!" she said cheerfully, the trio exchanging glances as she continued leading them.

"Well, I have something I need to take care of, so I-" Hilda was cut off as the brunette grabbed her wrist.

"You're not going anywhere," Leaf gave her a serious look, making the girl nervous.

"O...Okay..." she stuttered, surprised at the girl's sudden change.

"Okay! Come on, I bet the good booths are taken!" she exclaimed happily, the others wondering how she managed the constant mood changes. Minutes passed as they walked in silence, fearing the girl would flip emotions, until they managed to enter the mall and stood in front of a fancy restaurant. "Here we are!"

"Does anyone else get this feeling...?" Ash asked, looking around oddly.

"Now that you mention it, I do feel something weird...It's like fear..." Hilda looked puzzled, searching as well.

"Forget it, come on!" the brunette dragged them in by their wrists, the other man following closely. "Table for four, fanciest you got, please."

"Right this way," the man said, immediately obeying in the presence of the four semi-finalists. The brunette beamed, dragging the pair as the man lead them to a booth in the back corner. "Take all the time you need to order."

"Thank you," the brunette beamed, sliding into the booth seat. Hilda was thinking ahead, quickly sliding into the opposite side. Ash began debating on which side to take, then felt himself dragged in and sat beside Leaf, Red calmly taking his spot by Hilda. The four picked up their menus, browsing through the various selections.

"They sure have a lot of different meals..."

"You can say that again..."

* * *

><p>"Are you <em>serious<em>?" Max looked at the trainer in surprise, a simple nod and sigh in response. "Oh, man...You're _so_ dead..."

"I know that, it's just the waiting that kills me..." Brendan responded, frowning as they walked past a jewellery store. "Can you help me somehow? Try to calm her down?"

"I don't know, if she's this serious then she'll probably hit me without a second thought," Max shrugged, the pair giving a sigh together. "...You really screwed up this time..."

"I know...I don't even know where she is, she could be hiding anywhere with an ambush..." he shuddered, thinking of the possibilities the brunette might have.

"She probably has Blaziken out, that's for sure," he shuddered again at the boy's words, not feeling any better. "But, she could also have Snorlax..."

"You're not helping, you know," Brendan told him, glaring at the boy. he shrugged, looking ahead before his experssion turned confused.

"Wait...Were you alone on this?"

"No, Paul and Hilbert were with me...But Hilbert's a back-stabber..."

"Well there's Brock and Cilan talking with Paul, and he looks pretty nervous."

"He's alive?"

* * *

><p>"So...What's up?" the brunette asked, smiling as she looked at the others.<p>

"Nothing much," she nodded, tapping her toe below the table as the four sat in silence.

"...Are you excited for the battles?"

"Leaf, you're forcing us to stay here," Hilda told her, frowning.

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't enjoy it, that's actually more of a reason to," the brunette replied, puffing out her cheeks. She looked at Ash. "You want to stay here, don't you?"

"Don't do the eyes, you know they don't work," the brunette frowned, her eyes returning to normal as she crossed her arms.

"Fine, let's just sit in awkward silence," Leaf told them, the three giving simultaneous sighs.

"We don't want that, though. It's weird."

"Then do something to make it better."

"I would _leave_, but you won't letus."

"You're no fun to have around, you know that?"

"What was that?"

"Hey, calm down," Ash said, the two girls looking away with a huff. He sighed, shaking his head. "This is no time for you two to fight, remember that you're friends."

"Friends fight all the time," Hilda told him, the brunette giving a nod. "You and Leaf fought not an hour ago."

"That's not important here," Ash told her, the brunette giving her a suspicious look.

"And that's none of your business," she told her, Hilda looking back at her.

"Mabye not, but at least I made Ash feel better about it," she smirked, crossing her arms. "I guess that's why I'm his friend."

"_I'm_ his friend too, you know. His _best_ friend," Leaf stated, Ash getting a bad feeling as he looked at the pair.

"Oh, really? What makes you think that?"

"I was his childhood friend, we were the _best_ of friends."

"He never mentioned you in the years I've known him. He must have forgot."

"He would _never_ forget, we promised."

"And yet I haven't heard about you at all until this tournament. Funny."

"That doesn't mean anything, I guess he didn't want you to be jealous."

"I would _never_ be jealous, at least I don't fight about stupid things."

"At least I don't look stupid."

"At least I'm _not_ stupid."

"At least I've got the courage to admit I like someone."

"At least I can do something about liking someone."

"Oh, really? Why aren't you with Hilbert yet?"

"Why aren't you with Ash yet? Doesn't he love you back?"

"...That's too far..."

"I think you're just afraid to admit it's true, or you would already be a couple."

"...I just remembered I have to meet someone."

"I have business to take care of."

"Leaf, Hi-"

"Excuse me," both girls said, their heads low as they turned towards the guy beside them. Both stood and stepped aside, the girls moving out of the booth and walking away.

"...What's wrong with you two...?" Ash muttered, frowning as he watched the two disappear.

"Forgive me for intruding in a personal matter, but I believe their fight involved their true emotions," Red stated, sitting down again. Ash sat across from him, a curious look on his face. "When you fight with words, your heart tends to let go of excess emotions you have and it becomes formed in your words."

"Formed in words? So...What they said...?" Ash crossed his arms on the table, staring at the table in confusion.

"I believe they meant what they said. Both of them."

* * *

><p>"So you're hiding here, too?" Brendan asked, Paul nodded.<p>

"It seemed like a good place to hide, being open space and all," he replied.

"So you're both hiding from May and Dawn..."

"Because you got caught in a _very_ embarrassing situation with them..."

"And neither of you know where Hilbert is?"

"He can get caught, for all I care," Brendan stated, frowning.

"He was the first to run, so I hope he gets caught," Paul nodded, the Hoenn trainer giving a nod.

"Okay...Well, you two stay here, we'll go look for them and try to stop this," Max told them, the pair giving a nod.

"Thanks, I'll owe you after this," Brendan told him, giving a relieved sigh. The boy nodded, shaking his head as he left.

"We'll help Max," Brock told them, Cilan following him as they tried to keep up with the boy.

"As long as we stay here...We're safe..." Brendan looked at Paul.

"...Right...Just don't leave this place..." Paul looked back at him, both giving a nod. They turned around, looking confused as a familiar brunette was walking towards them with her head low.

"Leaf?" Brendan asked, but the girl only walked past them. The pair watched her walk away, confused. They turned around, freezing as their eyes widened.

"H-Hilda...!" the pair watched the other brunette walk towards them, staring at the ground with an angry expression as she walked. As she moved past the two, she stopped behind them.

"Paul, Brendan," they cringed, knowing what she was thinking. Their heartbeats increased, an unlimited number of imaginative deaths from her hands. "...Don't worry."

"W-What?" Brendan asked, nervuosly turning around.

"I'm not after you, don't worry about me. I won't tell Dawn or May you're here, either, as long as you answer me something," the pair glanced nervously at each other.

"...What is it?" Paul asked, the girl looking at the ground again.

"...Do you think Ash really loves Leaf, or is it one-sided?" they exchanged confused glances, wondering why they were still breathing.

"...uh...I guess it could really be either one..." Paul replied hesitantly, beginning to think about it. "...She really loves him, for sure...But I haven't seen him show any emotions towards her..."

"Yeah...Plus I heard from somewhere they just had a fight, I'm not even sure where I got it," Brendan added, the girl giving a nod.

"Okay, thanks. I won't tell them, I'm only after Hilbert," the guys nodded, the girl walking away. They sighed simultaneously, their heartbeats returning to normal as they regained mobility in their body.

* * *

><p>"So you think they both feel the same..." Ash said slowly, Red giving a nod. "...Your theory does make sense, but it doesn't explain something..."<p>

"What is that?" Red asked.

"...I've known Hilda for a few years now, why hasn't she ever shown this side before? If she does feel the same, she would have earlier, right?" Ash asked, the opposite trainer giving a nod.

"Normally, yes, but maybe she didn't _know_ she felt that way before," Ash looked confused. "The years you've been friends, you haven't talked with many other women, have you?"

"...No, it was pretty much just her and Hilbert," Ash replied, the man giving a nod.

"In those years, she was the only girl you talked with. But at this tournament, she met Leaf," Ash watched him expectantly, thinking about his words. "When you were revealed to be childhood friends, and now act like best friends, something inside of her must have changed."

"So...You're saying Leaf made her feel different about me?" Ash asked, the man shaking his head.

"Hilda must see Leaf as a threat, and that is why her true emotions are coming out," Ash looked down at the table again, frowning. "She might have had emotions for you the entire time you've known each other, but she never realized she had them until there was a threat," Red stated, looking at the table as well.

"So, you're actually saying..."

"Leaf got between Hilda and you."

* * *

><p>"How could she say that...To think I trusted her..." Leaf muttered, angrily kicking a stone. "...She said she had my back..."<p>

"Leaf?" she looked up, confused to see May sitting alone in the central area in a lawn chair, waving.

"What are you doing?" Leaf asked, looking oddly at the brunette.

"Waiting for Brendan," she said calmly, smiling as she took a drink of her soda.

"...No offense, but you look like a crazy person," Leaf told her, the brunette giving a laugh.

"I'm _really_ crazy on seeing him right now."

"Something tells me this isn't a friendly matter..."

"If you happen to see Brendan, could you tell him to come see me?"

"uh...Sure..."

"Thanks!" the brunette exclaimed, the talking device buzzing in her hand.

"Anything yet, Brown-1?" the blunette asked.

"Nothing on this end, how's your leg?" May asked.

"It's kind of asleep, but it'll be fine," Dawn replied, the brunette shaking her head with a smile.

"Is that Dawn? What game are you guys playing?" Leaf asked, looking oddly at the walkie-talkie in her hand.

"It's not a game, it's a serious personal matter we can't afford to be distracted from," May replied, Leaf feeling nervous.

"Okay...Well, I'll leave you to this, then..." she slowly stepped back, watching her oddly as she stepped away from the girl. "...Weird..."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for this," Ash said, the pair walking up the stairs.<p>

"No problem, I hope you make things right again with those two," Red told him, the trainer giving a nod.

"I'll try, as long as I remember what you told me," Ash chuckled, Red giving a nod in agreement. The two reached the top, walking down the hallway and moving into the main lobby.

"Hello, Mr. Ketchum," he looked over at the pink-haired nurse, smiling and waving. He waved, walking towards the battle board with Red beside him. They both looked at the board, but it was still the same as earlier.

"I guess we're a couple minutes early," Ash said, raising the electronic device on his wrist. The clock flashed on-screen. "Yeah, two minutes."

"Need something for your time?" Ash looked at the nurse, giving a shrug. "I could give you more advice on your love life."

"Thanks, but I've got plenty already," Ash told her, frowning. "In fact, you seem pretty obsessed with this..."

"I think young love is the best thing in the world~!" she chimed, hands on her cheeks as she beamed. Ash looked oddly at her.

"You've asked her before?" Red asked, Ash giving a nod.

"She was the first one I asked when I was Shadow, before anyone knew who I really was," Ash told him, the trainer giving a nod.

"So you've helped him this far in his four-girl relationship," Red stated, Ash stumbling over as the nurse gasped.

"_Four_-girl?" she asked, looking surprised at Ash.

"W-Wait, no, he doesn't mean that! Red, what are you talking about?" Ash asked, looking intently at the trainer.

"Leaf, Hilda, and your other brunette and blunette friends. Am I counting wrong?" he asked, Ash frowning with a sigh.

"In a way, yes. I'm not in a relationship with _any_ of them, we're all just friends," Ash told him, the nurse looking slyly at him.

"I never knew you would be open to multiple loves at once..."

"Please, Nurse Joy...He was kidding..."

"I'm sorry, I was only mentioning what I saw as potential relationships," Red frowned, giving a slight bow.

"uh...No problem, just know that I don't _love_ any of them quite yet."

"So there _is_ a possibility for each of them?"

"...Dammit, that's not what I meant..."

"No worries, the matches should be up any second now, no?" he asked, Ash looking at his clock again.

"Oh, yeah, you're right," the pair looked intently at the board, waiting for the match-ups. "...Before we know the matches, agree that we will not go easy on our opponent."

"I wouldn't dream of going easy on a trainer, I go all out no matter what the situation," both trainers smirked, the names on the board beginning to glow. The four rectangles began spinning in a 3D loop, rotating at a high speed as the board decided their fates. The whole board lit up, the trainers barely able to read the names as they lined back up. Now, the trainers grinned as the four names were lined up in two large squares, a large VS between them.

SEMI-FINALIST MATCHES

FIRST - ASH VS. RED

SECOND - LEAF VS. HILDA

**END**

**And there you have it. The next chapter will be, as the match-ups tell you, Ash vs. Red. The following chapter will be Leaf vs. Hilda.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Alright, here's the first match of the semi-finals. I don't own Pokemon or any of its glorious, yet complicated franchise and characters.**

_"Pi_..._"_

"..."

_"Pikapi..."_

"...Little longer, buddy..."

_"Pika_,_" _the mouse nodded, its eyes remaining closed as it stood on all fours. It moved its head slightly to the left, then to the right, then its ears perked up. _"Chuu!"_ the mouse shouted, releasing a powerful bolt from its cheeks to the side. The bolt pierced easily through the wooden target, shattering it to fragments.

"Good job, buddy," the mouse smiled, opening its eyes and looking at its trainer. "I know you're already used to this training, but I have to make sure you're on full alert," Ash told the mouse, who nodded back. "We're going against Red, and he's no one to mess with. He used to be the undefeated Kanto League Champion five years running."

_"Pika?"_ the mouse cocked its head to the side, walking towards him and climbing up his leg.

"Yeah, five years. Rumor has it he just left one day, without a word to anyone," Ash smirked, closing his eyes and crossing his arms. "...Reminds me of us...Leaving without a word, then coming back for a tournament..."

"_Pikapi, chupi kachu pi?_" the mouse asked, positioning itself on his shoulder with a smile.

"Don't worry about that, Pi. I've already got our team picked and ready," the mouse gave him a confused look. "I've heard stories about Red as a champion from the past, and I began to see a pattern in his pokemon."

"_Chupi kachu?" _the mouse asked again, cocking its head.

"Like I said, I have that already taken care of. And I have no doubt these guys are ready."

* * *

><p>"So...Ash's battle is coming up soon..." Paul muttered, Brendan giving a nod.<p>

"Yeah...Against that Red guy..." he added, Paul giving a nod. "...Is it weird that I feel cooler for spending an entire night in a mall?"

"I get that feeling, too. So no," Brendan smiled, leaning back against the wall.

"Sweet..." he closed his eyes, a frown growing on his face. "...If it's Ash's battle...The girls will be there, won't they?"

"Without a doubt," Paul frowned, Brendan nodding in disapppointment. "...Troublesome, May, and Hilda...All there at once..."

"Plus Leaf, she might be helping without us knowing," Brendan told him, the Sinnoh trainer shaking his head.

"That girl is too carefree."

"You haven't met her personally, you've only heard stories from others."

"..."

"..."

"...Screw it, let's go."

* * *

><p>"Here we go, buddy..." Ash muttered, the mouse on his shoulder giving a nod as the trainer stepped through the large doorway. He noticed, a fair distance away, Goodshow and his opponent standing near the statue.<p>

"Ah, here's our trainer now!" Goodshow smiled behind his beard, watching Ash walk closer towards them. "Now that you both are here, I would like to congratulate you again for making it this far," both trainers nodded in aknowledgement. "And now, we will head to the battlefield."

"So which area are we taking?" Ash asked, the short man smiling.

"You both show high potential in fighting spirit, but keep it under a cool attitude. We have decided for this, the Grimsley Arena," the two trainers nodded, following the shorter man towards the doorway.

* * *

><p>"Ohmygosh, I can't believe it's already the semi-finals!" Iris said excitedly, beaming.<p>

"Yeah, it only seems like yesterday the both of you were knocked out," Misty smiled, the purple-haired girl and younger boy lowering their head in depression.

"And the first battle is Ash's, so we have to get there quickly," Brock told them, everyone giving a nod as they continued walking towards the battle arenas.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen!" Goodshow spoke into the microphone, his voice booming over the applause. On both sides of the battlefield, a large bleacher was built to hold many people only leaving a few to stand on the sides. "I thank you all for coming. And now, without further delay, let's get this semi-final match underway!" as he finished, a large crank-like sound was heard. Everyone looked up and saw the roof beginning to split, revealing a bright sunny sky.<p>

"Man, what a crowd..." Max looked amazed at the large number of people sitting in each of the bleachers.

"And we got here late, so we have to stand..." Iris said sadly, frowning as she crossed her arms. "This is because we waited for Dawn and May..."

"_Whooo_! Come on, Ash!" the group looked up to the top of the bleachers, seeing the familiar brunette and blunette sitting in the very top row cheering.

* * *

><p>"Introducing our battlers today...Ash and Red, both of Kanto's Pallet Town!" the crowd roared loudly, screaming and shouting as the two trainers stepped into their respective boxes, smirking with hands in their pockets.<p>

"This will be a six-on-six battle, singles only with substitutions!" the ref announced, looking to both sides.

"Interesting..." Ash said to himself, smirking as he nodded to the ref, as did Red.

"Trainers, choose your first pokemon!" the ref raised his flags, both trainers bringing a hand out of their pocket already holding a pokeball. They tossed their spheres into the air, both bursting open and hitting the field. Red's light had taken form of a large dinosaur-like figure with a large flower sprouted on its back, and Ash's had taken a slightly smaller turtle on its hind legs.

"Begin!"

"Blastoise, Flash Cannon," the turtle targeted its twin cannons on the grass-type, firing a flashy ray of energy.

"Venusaur, Solarbeam," the bud of the flower began to glow, firing a powerful solar ray.

"Defend," the turtle obediently disappeared into its shell, the solar energy bursting through the silver beam and crashing into the turtle's shell, sending it soaring back into the far wall.

"Now Petal Dance," the grass-type released a gust of swirling flower petals, advancing quickly on the turtle.

"Hydro Pump on the ground," the turtle emerged from its protection, blasting an intense jet of water at the ground. The water-type lifted into the air, the petals bouncing off the wall as it climbed into the air.

"Solarbeam," the flower glowed again, firing a powerful solar ray into the sky.

"Hydro Pump back and spin," the turtle retreated into its shell, its back facing the grass-type attack as it fired its jets forward. The water forced it backwards, combined with the spinning as the powerful attack collided onto its shell. It glowed for a few seconds as the turtle continued spinning, the the attack reflected and shot back at the grass-type, exploding between its front feet. "Now Ice Beam," the turtle dropped to the ground, firing an icy beam at the dinosaur-like creature. It shouted in pain as the ice formed around its legs and stomach, holding it to the ground.

"Venusaur, are you okay?" the grass-type nodded, an angry expression on its face as it looked at the grinning turtle.

"Flash Cannon," the turtle released its twin silver beams, exploding on the grass-type. "Ice Beam again."

"Solarbeam," the two attacks collided, exploding in the center. "Petal Dance."

"Hydro Pump on the ground," the turtle lifted into the air, dodging the petals easily.

"Perfect. Seed Bomb," the grass-type released several seeds into the air, the turtle's eyes widened as it began to fall. The seeds moved through the air around it, the turtle struggling to avoid contact with them. Unfortunately, one had grazed its shoulder, exploding behind it. The turtle felt itself forced forward, crashing into the ground. "Seed Bomb again, then Solarbeam."

"Blastoise, Hydro Pump," the twin jets of water pushed back some of the seeds, but many still got past and exploded on the ground around it. The turtle winced as dust raised around it, giving an angry look. It retreated into its shell, spinning on the ground and parting the cloud. It quickly planted its feet again, giving an angry look towards the grass-type, but its eyes widened as it noticed its opponent grinning.

"Fire," the grass-type's flower glowed brightly, exploding into a ray of energy which shot at the turtle. Unable to react, the turtle only watched with wide eyes as the beam connected with its chest, exploding.

"Blastoise!" Ash called, feeling worried as the turtle was shot into the wall behind him. The turtle fell to the ground, stumbling as it got to its feet again, panting. "Are you okay?" the turtle nodded, wincing as it stumbled to one side. Ash looked at the turtle for a few seconds, then frowned. "...Return, buddy. Take a rest."

* * *

><p>"Ash lost a pokemon! How did he lose?" Max gasped, eyes wide as he watched the turtle disappear into the red light.<p>

"No, Max, he only returned it. Blastoise wasn't defeated, the ref didn't call it," Cilan told the boy.

"He was even at a disadvantage, so it's not the best start," Brock told them, looking at the trainer on the field.

* * *

><p>"Pidgeot, it's your turn," Ash stated, tossing the sphere and releasing the large majestic bird.<p>

"Pidgeot vs. Venusaur! Begin!"

"Into the air," the bird quickly took flight, ascending higher into the air away from the grass-type. "It's dangerous to get close, so we'll have to rely on speed..."

"Petal Dance," the tornado of flowers rose into the air, moving in on the bird.

"Air Cutter, then Air Slash," the bird released a wave of small blade-like figures of air, cutting through the petals and exploding around the grass-type. The bird then released a swirling mass of air, exploding with great effect on the dinosaur figure's back.

"Venusaur, Solarbeam," the grass-type roared in pain from the consecutive attacks, releasing a powerful ray of solar energy at the sky-high opponent.

"Dodge, then Hurricane," the bird barrel-rolled in the air, avoiding the ray and flapping its wings intensely. The wind picked up all around the battlefield, forming a large tornado around the field with the grass-type inside. Red lifted his arm above his head, shielding his eyes and holding the brim of his hat.

"Venusaur, Seed Bomb," the trainer called, the grass-type releasing several explosive seeds into the air.

"Pidgeot, Air Cutter! Then finish with Brave Bird!" the bird released a wave of air blades, slashing and exploding the seeds while in the air. The bird then dove to the ground outside of the tornado, picking up at the last second as its speed was at highest. The grass-type could only watch in horror as the bird burst through the tornado's side, enveloped in a glowing blue flame as it crashed into it, exploding on contact. The dinosaur roared in pain, stumbling to the side as the super-effective move hit, then one leg gave way. Its jaw hit the ground, its eyes closing.

"Venusaur is unable to battle! Pidgeot wins!" the ref raised his flag towards Ash, where Pidgeot was taking position in the air above him, one eye closed as sparks visibly jumping across its body.

"Return, you did well," Red smirked, recalling the grass-type and returning it to his belt. He pulled another sphere, enlargening it and tossing it. The light struck the ground again, taking form as an aquatic-creature with a shell and long neck.

"Pidgeot vs. Lapras! Begin!"

"Lapras, Sheer Cold," the ice-type's eyes glowed an icy blue, lowering its head.

"Pidgeot, away from the ground," the bird quickly obeyed, ascending high into the air. The ice-type raised its head again, giving a melodious shout as a large amount of ice rose up around it. The ice curled up, forming a large bowl-like shape around the battlefield. "So that's how he has Lapras battle..."

* * *

><p>"Red lost a pokemon! But Lapras didn't hit Pidgeot, so what's up with this?" Misty asked, looking oddly at the large bowl of ice.<p>

"M-Man...I really hope Ash w-wins this one..." Iris muttered, holding her arms close to her chest as she shivered, looking afraid of the ice-type on the field.

"I thought you were over this weakness?" Cilan asked, the girl giving him a glare.

"Shut up, things come back to haunt you," she replied hastily, frowning. "And now Pidgeot's at the disadvantage, plus it was battling with Venusaur..."

"But Ash can pull this off," Brock smiled, crossing his arms as he looked at the bird. "Remember, Pidgeot was the first pokemon Ash ever caught."

* * *

><p>"Lapras, Ice beam," the ice-type released a beam of ice into the air.<p>

"Pidgeot, Air Slash," the flying-type attack collided with the ice, exploding. "Air Cutter," the several small blades struck the large ice bowl, but each only left small scratches.

"Lapras, gain momentum," the ice-type slid itself across the icy floor, lifting up on the bowl's lip. It turned around, sliding the opposite direction again, continuing this process until it was gaining a fair speed.

"He's gaining speed...But why...?" Ash watched the ice-type intently, then it hit him. "That's his strategy against flying-types! Pidgeot, Air Cutter and stop Lapras!"

"Continue," the ice-type continued to gain speed, the small blades of air striking the air around it as it had become fast enough to dodge. It grinned, falling down the lip again. "Hydro Pump backwards."

"Pidgeot, stop it!" the bird continued releasing small blades at a high rate, slashing the ground around the ice-type as it gained more speed from the jet of water.

"Zen Headbutt!" the ice-type gained speed as it slid across the ground again, cutting off its water and turning face forward. Its head glowed a light pink, lowering its head and lining up with its back as it slid up the lip, shooting into the air.

"Dodge it!" Ash called, the bird moving to the side as the ice-type shot dangerously close into the air above it.

"Blizzard," the ice-type straightened out, calling out as it released a freezing wind on the bird below. The bird winced as its wings began to feel numb, noticing a small layer of ice forming on the tips. It began to tip to one side, losing height in the air. "Zen headbutt again," the ice-type dived headfirst, forcing its empowered forehead into the bird's back, both falling towards the ground at a high speed, crashing into the ice with an explosion of ice chunks.

"Pidgeot!" Ash called, worried. The ice-type slid back towards Red quickly, the bird stumbling to get up. It shook its head, extending its wings and shouting loudly. It took into the air again, hovering above Ash. "A good strategy, manipulating the field for its movement and speed...Then using special moves to disable and physical moves to attack...He's definitely the Kanto League Champion..."

"Lapras, Ice Beam," the ice-type shot the ray of ice at the bird, who dodged.

"But we won't fall for it again. Air Cutter," the bird released the wave of small blades, striking the opponent effectively.

"Lapras, gain momentum," the ice-type began sliding from side-to-side again, gaining speed in the bowl.

"So he wants to do it again...Alright, but we'll win this time," Ash grinned, watching his bird struggle to hit the ice-type with blades of air.

* * *

><p>"What is Ash doing? He's going to let Pidgeot get hurt again?" Max asked, blinking in confusion.<p>

"Max, remember that this is Ash," the young boy looked at the connossieur, who crossed his arms with a smile. "If he is hit with an effective strategy, he always finds a way to turn it around."

* * *

><p>"Zen Headbutt," the ice-type lined up its head, shooting into the air again.<p>

"Higher into the air," the bird flapped its wings, dodging the ice-type and climbing into the air. The ice-type felt gravity take effect, beginning to fall. "Now grab it!"

"What?" Red looked surprised as the bird's claws grabbed the ice-type's shell, holding it up in the air.

"Climb higher," the bird flapped its wings, going higher into the air as it held onto the ice-type. It winced, beginning to feel its limit. "Now drop it!"

"Lapras!" Red called, watching the bird let go of his pokemon, it dropping to the field below.

"Brave Bird!" the bird dived towards the ice-type.

"Blizzard!" the ice-type released a powerful freezing wind from below it, the flying-type becoming a block of ice. "Well done, Lapras!"

"Break out!" Red's eyes widened as the bird suddenly shattered from the block of ice, wings extended and glowing bright blue. It gave a shrill cry, slamming into the ice-type's chest and pushing it to the ground. The pair crashed into the ice in an explosion of ice and dust, both trainers standing calmly as the air blew past them. The dust began to part, Ash's bird flying out from the top and giving a loud cry as it returned to Ash's side, sparking once again. Red's ice-type was revealed to be lying still, eyes closed from the impact.

"Lapras is unable to battle! Pidgeot wins!" the ref raised his flag towards Ash, the trainer and bird grinning. The crowd cheered as Red recalled his pokemon, pulling another sphere from his belt and tossing it. The pokeball burst open and the blue light took form of a large circular figure with a small head.

"Pidgeot, take a rest," the bird looked back at Ash and shook its head, extending its wings to the sides, surprising Ash. "You want to keep going? ...Alright, you're on."

Pidgeot vs. Snorlax! Begin!"

* * *

><p>"Red lost two pokemon!" Max cheered, smiling.<p>

"Yes, but Ash has two pokemon weak from battling, plus they were both at a disadvantage," Misty told the boy, frowning. "Ash will have to pull some good tricks to keep this going."

* * *

><p>"Pidgeot, Air Cutter," the bird took into the air, the wave of small blades exploding on the normal-type's chest. "Air Slash," the swirling mass of air crashed into the large pokemon's chest. It stumbled back, rolling and landing on its feet again as it stood without effect. "This thing's got defense..."<p>

"Snorlax, Smack Down," the normal-type formed a small sphere of energy in its palm, throwing it at the bird. As it hit the bird's wing, the figure sudednly fell from the air and hit the ground. "Now Heavy Slam," the large pokemon jumped, its stomach giving a pearlescent shine as it crashed down on top of the bird.

"Pidgeot!" Ash called, worried as he saw his first-caught pokemon be crushed. The normal-type stood up, returning to its trainer's side, revealing the bird pushed into the ground, eyes closed without no movement.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle! Snorlax wins!" the ref raised his flag towards Red and his large pokemon, who both grinned. Ash frowned, recalling his bird and hesitating as he reached for another pokeball.

"...It's defensive, but slow...But it still has a strategy against flying-types...And light pokemon..." he muttered to himself, grinning as he realized the normal-type's weakness. He closed his eyes, taking another sphere in-hand and tossing it. The light burst from the sphere, releasing a large green dinosaur-like figure with a flower on its back.

"Venusaur vs. Snorlax! Begin!"

"Venusaur, Solarbeam," the grass-type's flower glowed, releasing a bright ray of solar power.

"Hyper Beam," the normal-type fired a white and purple-shaded ray of intense energy, both attacks colliding at the center and exploding.

"Just what I wanted. Venusaur, Leech Seed into Solarbeam," the grass-type released a single seed which hit the large pokemon's chest, several vines sprouting from it and holding the normal-type, a red glow as it drained its energy. Ash's pokemon then charged another powerful attack, firing it at the large pokemon.

"Block it," the normal-type held out its arms, receiving the attack directly and holding it back.

"You can't be serious..." Ash watched in shock as the normal-type broke the attack like it was nothing, grinning as its energy was drained again. "Razor Leaf," the grass-type released a wave of sharp and fast leaves, slashing against the normal-type but it didn't budge. "How much can this thing take...?"

"Snorlax, Heavy Slam," the normal-type jumped into the air, its stomach shining as it dropped above its opponent.

"Solarbeam," the ray of energy collided with the large pokemon's stomach, but it continued down and crashed onto the grass-type. It grunted, shaking to the side and dropping its opponent to the ground.

"It's still standing...Impressive..." Red said to himself, smirking as he noticeed the grass-type standing normally.

"The heavier the user is compared to the opponent, the stronger Heavy Slam becomes. I purposely picked Venusaur for this battle, for that exact reason," Ash grinned, Red giving a nod. "Razor Leaf, then Solarbeam."

* * *

><p>"None of Ash's attacks are doing a thing against Snorlax..." Iris said, looking in confusion at the perfect-conditon normal-type.<p>

"Snorlax are known for their defensive stats, but standing up after all of Ash's attacks at this point amazes me," Cilan stated, crossing his arms.

"But there's one thing you haven't thought about," the group looked over, surprised to see Hilbert moving towards them with arms behind his head, grinning. "What has Ash been doing so far?"

"In this battle? ...He used Leech Seed at the beginning, now he uses Razor Leaf and Solarbeam repeatedly..." Max tapped his chin, recalling the battle's history. "...That's about it."

"That's what I mean," Hilbert told the boy, confusing him further. Cilan and Brock looked at the man in understanding, giving an agreeing nod.

"He's only using three moves."

* * *

><p>"Razor Leaf and Solarbeam," the two attacks hit the normal-type again, a few scratches appearing on its stomach. "Again," the pokemon repeated its attacks, more scratches appearing on its stomach.<p>

"Snorlax, Hyper Beam," the normal-type fired its most powerful attack, but the grass-type blocked it with Solarbeam, exploding in the center. "What is he thinking...?"

"Again," the leaves and solar ray struck it chest, causing more scratches. Ash watched the large pokemon's face carefully as the attacks hit, but nothing changed. "Again," Venusaur began panting, releasing the attacks and striking the large pokemon. Ash continued staring at the normal-type's expression, then grinned. It winced.

"I thought you would have more of a strategy than this, Ash," Red called, Ash grinning as he crossed his arms.

"This is as much as I need," Ash called back, confusing Red.

"I'm afraid this strategy isn't affecting my pokemon, so we're only wasting time. Snorlax, finish this with Heavy Slam," the normal-type jumped into the air, its stomach gleaming as it dropped towards the grass-type.

"Frenzy Plant!" Red and Snorlax's eyes widened, watching the grass-type's body glow green, several large and sharp roots burst from the ground around it. The vines slammed into the large pokemon's chest, sending it back into the air. Venusaur roared, a single root extending into the air after the opponent. "Finish this!" Venusaur gave another roar, the vine dropping down on the normal-type and slamming it into the ground, an explosion of debris bursting into the air as the ground shook from the contact. Venusaur returned to normal as the vines retreated into the ground, panting lightly.

"Snorlax, Hyper Beam," Ash and Venusaur's eyes widened as the powerful attack burst from the dust, exploding on the ground between Venusaur's front feet, sending it into the air backwards.

"Venusaur!" Ash called, looking back and watching his grass-type crash into the ground. He looked back across the field, the dust had nearly settled but Snorlax's standing figure was visible, as much as the grin on its face. Suddenly, its legs gave way as its body came crashing down. Neither pokemon moved.

"Both Venusaur and Snorla are unable to battle! This round is a tie!" the ref raised both his flags, both trainers returning their pokemon with a frown. They returned them to their belts, calmly taking another pokeball and tossing it into the air. The lights burst onto the battlefield, both taking form of a large and intimidating turtle.

"Blastoise vs. Blastoise! Begin!"

"Hydro Pump," both trainers called simultaneously, the pair of turtles releasing twin jets of water and colliding at the center, evenly-matched. "Flash Cannon," the water changed to silver energy, exploding as they made contact. "Alright, this is going nowhere."

"Blizzard, then Focus Blast," Red's turtle released a powerful gust of frozen wind from behind it, Ash's turtle retreating into its shell from the frigid attack. The turtle released a blue sphere of pulsing energy, throwing it and exploding on Ash's turtle shell, sending it sliding backwards.

"Ice Beam," the turtle extended its legs and firmly stopped itself on the ground, emerging from its shell and releasing an icy ray, freezing the opposing turtle to the ground.

"Focus Blast, then Hydro Pump," the turtle threw another pulsing sphere of energy, pushing it forward with the intense water jet. Ash's turtle could not react from the backup speed given to it, exploding on its stomach. The turtle stumbled back, grunting as it panted.

"Flash Cannon," the turtle released a twin-jet of steel energy, exploding on the opposing turtle's chest.

"Double Focus Blast," two blue spheres emerged from the dust, both exploding with each other on the turtle's legs. The water-type flipped into the air, crashing back on the field on its stomach, its eyes remaining closed.

"Ash's Blastoise is unable to battle! Red's Blastoise wins!" the ref raised his flag towards Red and the victorious turtle, Ash recalling his own with a frown. He pulled another pokeball, frowning as he stared at it.

"...I didn't think I would be forced to use you...Time to battle, Charizard!" Ash called, tossing the sphere and releasing the large red tyrant with a devastating roar, stomping its foot on the ground and releasing a flame into the air.

"Charizard vs. Blastoise! Begin!"

"Hydro Pump," the turtle released a powerful blast of water, advancing on the lizard.

"Flamethrower," the fire-type released an intense jet of flames, colliding against the water. A shroud of steam spread across the field, then the flames quickly burst through the water and struck the turtle. It grunted, a large scorch mark appearing on its chest. "Dragon Pulse."

"Focus Blast," both spheres collided in the center, then the dragon-type exploded the opposing sphere and continued towards the turtle, exploding on its chest. "So its power outranks us..."

"Flamethrower, then Dragon Claw," the lizard's flames struck the turtle's chest, who shouted out in pain. The lizard glided along the ground quickly, its claws glowing as it slashed across the turtle's chest, then struck an uppercut on the turtle's jaw. The force flipped the water-type back, crashing onto the ground behind Red. The turtle did not move.

"Blastoise is unable to battle! Charizard wins!" the ref raised his flag towards Ash and Charizard, who scoffed a small flame to the side. Red recalled his turtle, pulling another pokeball with a smirk. Tossing it, the burst of light revealed a mirror image of Ash's pokemon.

"Charizard vs. Charizard! Begin!"

"Flamethrower," both trainer commanded, the lizard releasing powerful flames that collided at the center. The flames grew in size, then exploded. "Dragon Pulse," both dragons threw a sphere of dragon energy, exploding on contact. "Dragon Pulse again."

"Air Slash," Ash's lizard threw a pulsing sphere while Red's launched a swirling attack, colliding and fading into nothing. "Dragon Pulse, then Air Slash."

"Dragon Claw, then Flamethrower," Ash's lizard burst forward, slashing through the sphere and breathing powerful flames, easily burning through the energy attack and advancing on Red's lizard.

"Flare Blitz," the lizard suddenly burst into flames, glowing a bright blue. The flames collided with it, disappearing into the blue flames as they glowed brighter.

"Oh, we just gave him a power-up..." Ash muttered to himself, frowning. The lizard burst forward, advancing on Ash's. "Into the sky, then Dragon Pulse."

"After it," Red's lizard followed Ash's closely into the air, feeling the sphere explode on its forehead but it didn't stop. Ash's lizard looked down in anger, its claws glowing as it held its arms out, catching the wings and holding it back. Both fire-types grinned, pushing against the other.

"Dragon Pulse," Ash's lizard moved underneath, Red's lizard bursting forward as Ash's passed under calmly with a glowing sphere in-hand, throwing it at the lizard's back and exploding, extinguishing the flames. Red's fire-type looked at Ash's angrily, sparks jumping across its body.

"Air Slash," Red's lizard released a mass of air energy, but Ash's dodged and threw another sphere, exploding on its chest. "Dragon Pulse."

"Dragon Claw," Ash's lizard slashed upward, exploding the sphere and releasing dust. Red's lizard watched intently at the cloud, then Ash's lizard suddenly appeared in front as if it teleported, slashing across the lizard's chest. It grunted, then was slashed again and took an uppercut to the jaw. It flipped in the air, regaining its posture as it bared its teeth, a visible slash mark under its jaw.

"Dragon Pulse, then Air Slash," the lizard released the blue sphere, then mass of air energy.

"Flamethrower," Ash's lizard released a powerful flame, bursting through both attacks and striking the opposing lizard's chest. "Dragon Pulse."

"Dragon Pulse, then Flare Blitz," the spheres collided and exploded, Red's lizard bursting from the smoke and crashing into Ash's. The lizard forced the other downward, crashing into the ground with an explosion of debris. Both liazrds stood, both panting with Red's sparking from the attack. "Air Slash."

"Flamethrower, then Dragon Pulse and Dragon Claw," the flames cancelled the flying-type attack, then the blue sphere exploded on the lizard's chest, followed by several powerful slashes.

"Grab it," Red's fire-type grabbed Ash's, flying into the air. "Now throw it down with Air Slash, then Dragon Pulse," the lizard threw the other to the ground, catching itself quickly. However, Red's lizard released the flying-type attack, which hit Ash's lizard's chest, pushing it to the ground with a painful impact. The blue sphere followed and exploded on its chest, giving a grunt of pain as it looked up angrily.

"Dragon Claw," the fire-type burst into the air with glowing claws, but the opposing lizard dodged and struck its back with its wing.

"Dragon Pulse again," the sphere exploded on its back, a grunt of pain following. Both lizards faced each other, panting with visible scratches on their bodies, an angry expression with teeth bared.

"They can't take much more..." Ash said to himself, frowning.

"We'll have to take this down to one final attack..." Red stated quietly, both trainers' lips curling into a grin. "Air Slash."

"Dragon Claw," the lizard slashed through the air attack, closing in on the opponent.

"Dragon Pulse, then Flare Blitz," the fire-type slashed the sphere, exploding it and releasing dust between them. Red's lizard burst forward, enveloped in glowing flames as it tackled Ash's, throwing it through the air. "Dragon Pulse again."

"Flamethrower," the flames burst through the sphere, scorching the lizard's chest. "We have to finish this now, buddy."

"Get ready," both lizards nodded, understanding their trainers' words as they faced each other a distance apart in the air. They closed their eyes, focusing their energy to one point of their body. The crowd watched in awe as the lizards began to glow a brilliant red, the flames on their tails growing larger and warmer.

* * *

><p>"What are those two doing?" Misty asked, looking oddly at the lizards.<p>

"They're powering up for something," Max stated.

"That's right, and it's something _big_," Hilbert told them, grinning as he looked at the two focused trainers on the field.

* * *

><p>"It's now or never..."<p>

"It's time..." both trainers took a breath, grinning as they raised their arm into the air.

"Charizard, Blast Burn!" the fire-types opened their mouths, a glowing sphere of intense flames forming between their teeth. The spheres fired forward, colliding at the center and turning into a deadly explosion of immense flames. Everyone nearby immediately began to sweat, panting from the sudden blast of heat. The flames died down a short time later, revealing the lizards standing on the ground with scratches and marks covering their bodies. They stared each other down intensely, grinning for a few moments. Then they both fell to their chest.

"Both Charizards are unable to battle! Trainers, choose your last pokemon!" the ref raised both his flags, the crowd muttering and whispering about the turn of events. Both trainers recalled their fire-type, grinning as Red drew another pokeball.

"Pikachu," both trainers stated, Red tossing his pokeball. The mouse on Ash's shoulder jumped down to the field, sparks coming from the red spots on its cheeks as the blue light hit the field, taking form as a copy of Ash's pokemon, but with a slightly darker color of fur.

"The final match will be Pikachu vs. Pikachu! Begin!"

"Thunderbolt," both trainers commanded, the pokemon releasing a powerful bolt of electricity each, colliding and exploding at the center.

* * *

><p>"This is gonna be <em>awesome<em>!" Max exclaimed, eyes shining as he looked at both of the electric-types on the field.

"It's definitely going to be interesting," Hilbert stated, smirking. "Ash has trained Pikachu from the very beginning, but the stories of Red and his Pikachu go way back as well..."

* * *

><p>"Iron Tail," both trainers said simultaneously, the electric pair dashing forward with silver-gleaming tails. They crashed together, bouncing off harmlessly and landing safely again. "Quick Attack," Ash stated, his mouse sprinting forward in a streak of white light as it zig-zagged down the field.<p>

"Dodge, and Focus Punch," the mouse jumped, avoiding the speedy opponent with its fist glowing. It thrusted its fist down, but the mouse was too fast as it crashed into the ground, leaving a small crater. "Thunderbolt."

"Iron Tail," Ash's pikachu dug its silver tail into the ground, receiving the electric bolt head-on without any effect.

"Using the Iron Tail for defending against electric-type attacks, that's impressive," Red called out, smirking with hands in his pockets.

"Thanks, I can't help but use it from how many times it's affected me in the past," Ash called back, smirking. "Quick Attack into Iron Tail."

"Focus Punch," the mouse jumped, swinging its glowing fist down onto the silver tail, both forcefully pushing for victory. The attacks bounced off, Red's mouse grunting as it held its paw from the attack, Ash's mouse grinning.

"Electro Ball, then Thunderbolt," the mouse launched the sphere of volts from its tail, followed by a bolt of electricity. Red's mouse stood ready for the attacks, but the bolt collided with the sphere and exploded, scattering dust in its vision. "Iron Tail," Red's mouse looked around carefully, but was caught by surprise as Ash's mouse burst forward, slamming its silver tail across its cheek and sending it soaring back.

"Catch yourself, then Thunderbolt," the mouse flipped, digging its paws into the ground to stop. It launched a bolt of electricity, catching the opposing mouse by surprise who grunted from the sudden powerful attack.

"We're even in power, so we can't win like with just attacks...We have to plan the order for more effective hits..." Ash said to himself, his mouse giving a nod.

"Iron Tail," the mouse bursted forward, tail gleaming.

"Counter that," Ash's mouse jumped, swinging its silver tail down and clashing against its opponent's. They bounced off, starting to pant. "Spin with Thunderbolt, then Quick Attack," the mouse jumped into the air, spinning its body as it released a bolt of electricity in a circular motion. It burst forward, moving through the air within the electricity as it grinned, moving closer to its opponent.

"Focus Punch," the mouse thrust its glowing fist forward, blocking the electric-powered mouse. "Iron Tail," it moved to the side, the electric mouse crashing head-first into the ground. Red's electric-type swung its silver tail overhead, slamming it into the mouse's back.

"Thunderbolt, then Electro Ball," the mouse released a powerful blast of electricity, Red's mouse grunting as it bared its teeth from the attack. Stumbling back, Ash's pikachu took the opportunity to stand and launch an electric sphere at the ground below its opponent, exploding and sending it soaring back.

"Catch yourself," the mouse slid back on its feet, an angry expression as it stopped and looked at its opponent, both panting. "This battle is going nowhere..."

"We need to finish this quickly..." Ash muttered, frowning as he noticed his partner's breathing. "Can you go a few more attacks, buddy?" the mouse looked back, giving a nod as it stood on all fours, cheeks sparking. "Alright, let's do this."

"Iron Tail," Red's mouse burst forward with a silver tail.

"Dodge with Quick Attack, then Electro Ball," the mouse sprinted past in a streak of white, throwing back a sphere of electricity that exploded on the mouse's back. "Now go back with Iron Tail," the mouse skidded to a stop, dashing back towards Red's pokemon with a silver tail, striking it in the side as it ran past. Red's mouse grunted, stumbling to the side but catching itself.

"Thunderbolt at its feet," the mouse released a bolt towards its opponent's feet, exploding on the ground. "Focus Punch," Ash's mouse got to its feet again from the attack, surprised to see Red's above him grinning with a glowing fist, thrusting it into its stomach. Ash's mouse choked, forced back through the air into the wall.

"You okay, buddy?" Ash asked quickly, worried for his friend as he fell to the ground. The mouse returned to its feet, an angry look as it stared across the field at its opponent, who held its fist with a slightly pained expression. "Wait...Focus Punch takes a lot of stamina with successful hits, and he's used it a few times now..."

"Focus Punch again," the mouse lunged forward, but Ash's mouse jumped to dodge, the electric-type's fist crashing into the ground. Ash noticed the mouse's expression become pained as its fist connected with the ground.

"That's it," Ash said to himself, smirking as his mouse landed again. "Quick Attack, circle around it."

"Wait," Red's mouse closed its eyes, remaining still as Ash's sprinted around it in a streak of white light. "Hidden Power," the mouse opened its eyes, several green orbs of energy forming around it. They launched in each direction, exploding on the ground all around it, Ash's mouse being thrown into the air. "Focus Punch."

"Iron Tail to deflect," Ash smirked, watching Red's mouse jump with its fist glowing. His own mouse blocked it with a silver tail, pushing the fist to the ground. "Electro Ball," the mouse threw the electric orb, exploding on the mouse. Both returned to their sides, panting with scratches on their bodies and grinning. "Time to finish this, buddy."

"One last move..." both trainers closed their eyes, grinning as they held their hands in their pockets. Both extending one arm forward, they opened their eyes.

"Iron Tail!" the two electric-types dashed forward, grinning with their tails gleaming as they jumped into the air. They pushed together like magnets, teeth bared as they struggled to overpower the other.

"Electro Ball!"

"Hidden Power!" Ash's mouse formed an electric sphere in the air above them, Red's forming several green orbs of mystical power. The small orbs hovered in the air around them, both electric-types grinning with eyes ablaze. The green orbs suddenly came in contact with the electric sphere, exploding in the air and releasing a cloud of dust in the air. Both trainers eyes widened as they watched the two pokemon burst from the smoke, crashing into the ground.

"Pikachu!" Ash called, eyes filled with worry as he saw his best friend not moving.

"Pika?" Red asked, his mouse not responding. Suddenly, both of their eyes opened, weakly lifting their heads from the ground.

"Come on, buddy! We can win this!" Ash said enthusiastically, his mouse baring its teeth as it struggled to lift itself.

"They're weak, Pika, just a little more," Red encouraged his mouse, its weight feeling much more intense. The pokemon glared at each other, managing to their feet and standing still, watching the other.

"Pikachu..."

"Pika..."

* * *

><p>"So it's another staredown, right?" Max asked, watching the pokemon intently.<p>

"Yeah, this is definitely it," Brock stated, crossing his arms as everyone watched in silence at the pokemon. Hilbert sighed.

"There's always a staredown in Ash's battles..."

* * *

><p>Time seemed to stand frozen. Not a breeze, not a whisper, not a breath. Everyone's breath was held as the pokemon stood silently, watching the other intently. Their feet were held in place by determination. The ref slowly reached into his pocket, taking a small object in his hand. His fingers slipped, however, and the small stopwatch fell slowly to the ground.<p>

_Thud._

At the instant the stopwatch hit the ground, both electric-types eyes widened, closing slowly as one of them fell. Everyone gasped as the mouse hit the ground, the other remained standing with its eyes closed.

"Red's Pikachu is unable to battle! Ash's Pikachu is the winner, so this victory goes to Ash of Kanto!" the ref announced, raising his flag towards Ash.

"Pikachu," Ash said gently, smiling as he crouched beside his best friend. The mouse weakly opened its eyes, giving a weak smile to its trainer before falling over. Ash caught the mouse, who began to snore peacefully in its trainer's arms.

"Pika, you did great," Red smiled, the mouse fluttering its eyes opened. He took the mouse into his arms, the electric-type giving a weak smile before its eyes closed again, its head falling to the side.

"Red," he looked up, seeing Ash standing in front of him with Pikachu in his arms. The trainer stood, facing Ash with Pika in his arms. "Pika, is it?" the mouse weakly opened its eyes, looking at Ash with a now-awake Pikachu. "That was the first time I've faced a pikachu as strong as mine. You did well, this is a battle I will never forget."

"I must thank you, Ash," Red spoke up, smiling as he held out his free hand. "This was certainly the greatest battle I've experienced."

"...Same here, Red," Ash smiled, shaking the trainer's hand as the crowd cheered loudly for them. Ash's electric-type smiled, Red's returning the smile before they both closed their eyes.

"Ahem, may I have your attention, please," everyone looked to the sideline, where Goodshow stood with a mic beside the referee, who held his stopwatch and placed it back into his pocket. "And this concludes our first semi-final match. The winner, Ash Ketchum, will be moving to the finals!"

"Congratulations," Red told him, the trainers sharing a smile.

"The second match will be held tomorrow, where the pairings of Leaf and Hilda will battle. Who will be the winner, and face Ash in the finals?" Goodshow asked, the crowd beginning to mutter amongst themselves. The short man cleared his throat, smiling. "That will be decided tomorrow. Trainers, give it your all to win on the battlefield."

"Speaking of those two, is their dispute from earlier continued?" Red asked, Ash giving a sigh.

"Unfortunately, yes. I'm not even sure where they are," Ash said, frowning as he looked through the crowd. He noticed the blunette and brunette beaming at the top, cheering loudly, and his group of old friends as well as Hilbert at the side. Even Paul and Brendan were standing beside the bleachers opposite to his friends, looking up every now and then. But no Leaf or Hilda.

"No worries, I'm sure they will be fine with time," Red told him, patting the trainer's shouler. "I wish you luck in your troubles."

"Thanks, Red, I'll need it," Ash told him, the trainer giving a chuckle as he walked away with his sleeping pikachu in his arms.

"Let's give one last round of applause for our first finalist, Ash Ketchum!" Goodshow said again, the crowd erupting in applause. Ash smiled, giving a simple bow to each side. He could hear his friends cheering distinctly over the others, specifically the girls in the top of the bleachers, but it didn't feel right. He couldn't hear Leaf or Hilda, the two who supported him the most. He frowned, giving a sigh as he walked towards the exit with Pikachu sleeping in his arms. The crowd began muttering about the next match.

"So I'm going to face Ash..." Leaf smiled to herself, leaning against the side of the opposite bleachers as Ash's friends.

"So Ash is in the finals, after all..." Hilda said quietly, smiling as she stood leaning against the wall near the entrance. She saw Ash coming towards the doorway, moving behind a small group of spectators as he moved by without noticing her. "I'm not losing...Not to her..."

**END**

**Much of an ending? Yeah, I know, the next chapter will be Leaf vs. Hilda, I did promise you so I won't go back on that. Look forward to it, hate the story, whatever keeps you alive. It's how life works.**


	47. Chapter 47

**And we're back, with the second semi-finalist match. Leaf vs. Hilda.  
>Some reviews brought this to my attention, I did make a mistake last chapter and I commend those who found it. Recap of last chapter...<strong>

**Ash**** - Blastoise, Pidgeot, Venusaur, Charizard, Pikachu (5 pokemon)  
>Red - Venusaur, Lapras, Snorlax, Blastoise, Charizard, Pikachu (6 pokemon)<strong>

**Yes, I gave Ash one pokemon short. I didn't even catch it until I just read it over, I feel really stupid. Thank you for noticing, but I don't think I will go back and change it. It was satisfying enough, don't you think?**

"Pikachu and the rest of your pokemon have regained their strength and are in peak-condition again," the smiling nurse told the trainer, holding out the tray with four pokeballs and a happy electric-type on the counter.

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash nodded, taking his pokeballs from the tray and allowing Pikachu to perch on his shoulder.

"Who do you think will make it to the finals with you? The next match is between miss Leaf and Hilda, right?" the trainer nodded, giving a quiet sigh as he leaned against the counter. "...Are you worried?"

"No, I'm feeling confident enough, it's just..." he stared at the ground for a few moments, then sighed again as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Leaf and Hilda...They kind of had an argument before my match."

"Argument? Are they both okay?" she asked, looking worried.

"They're fine, they just...May not exactly be on speaking terms. They got under each other's skin, I thought they were just friendly insults, but they were actually serious," he frowned, closing his eyes.

"Tell me, are you positive Hilda has feelings for Hilbert?" the nurse asked, the trainer smirking.

"Of course, it's plain as day," he chuckled, frowning again. "...But it might not exactly be the strongest of her emotions right now."

"So it was how I had initially thought," he looked at her oddly. "It's been a few weeks since this tournament started, and since then I've watched you walk in here day after day, interacting with different girls."

"What are you saying? I'm not a player, if you're implying-"

"No, no. You are close friends with each of the girls, but I've noticed they all look at you with more potential than that," he frowned, staring at the ground as he knew where this was going. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"

"Yeah..." he sighed, rubbing the arch between his eyes.

* * *

><p>"What do you think's gonna happen, man?" Brendan asked, leaning against the wall with the Sinnoh-native beside him.<p>

"I don't know...There's the redhead-"

"Misty."

"Troublesome-"

"Dawn."

"The Hoenn brunette-"

"_May_."

"Look, I don't care about names, okay?"

"Okay, okay, I'm just saying."

"Whatever. Then the other brunette...Leaf."

"See, you can remember names."

"That makes...Four, right?"

"Yeah, he's gonna have a hard time with this..." Brendan sighed, crossing his arms behind his head. "Misty's actually not that close anymore, so we can probably knock her out, don'tcha think?"

"I would agree, to make it that much easier," Paul replied, crossing his arms. "Troublesome's completely psycho when he's around, even more than usual."

"But I would count her out," Paul looked at him oddly, the Hoenn trainer giving a chuckle. "You'll see near the end of this competition."

"You're a confusing guy, I'll give you that..." Paul sighed, frowning. "So it's between May and Leaf, then."

"That's not entirely true," the pair were startled by a surprise voice, looking over to see who it belonged to. The pair's eyes widened, seeing a familiar face.

"R-Red!" Brendan gasped, immediately dropping to one knee. Paul looked down at him oddly, the trainer glancing up at him. "He was Kanto Champion! Bow, you idiot!"

"There's no need, I prefer normal interactions over special treatment," Red told them, giving a brief smile. The pair glanced at each other, Brendan returning to his regular height. "I couldn't help but overhear your conversation, you were talking about Ash's troubles, no?"

"Y-Yes, we were naming off the girls involved," Brendan replied, feeling nervous at the powerful-trainer's presence.

"I heard you narrow it down to May and Leaf, the two girls with the brown hair," Red inquired, the pair giving a nod.

"Yes, that's right. Out of our lists, they're at the top," Paul told him, Brendan giving an agreeing nod.

"Unfortunately, that is no longer true. You've forgotten about one."

* * *

><p>"Flamethrower!" the fire-type released a searing stream of flames, coming in contact with a large boulder half-hidden in the ground. The solid object grew warm quickly, melting into nothing leaving only a scorched hole in the ground. "Good job, Emboar! At this rate, we'll crush her in no-time flat!" Hilda beamed, smiling at her starter pokemon.<p>

"Solarbeam!" Hilda and the fire-type looked towards the trees nearby, seeing a bright ray of energy burst towards them. Emboar stepped forward, holding its arms forward and catching the attack, sliding back a few feet before cancelling the attack. "I'm sorry! I was training to hit a target, but I guess we-" Hilda's eyes narrowed, noticing the feminine and larger figure step through the trees. She noticed Hilda, her eyes narrowing as well.

"So you still can't even hit a target, huh? Figures," Hilda smirked, turning away with her starter pokemon.

"At least I know what a target is, I use _wood_ instead of innocent people," Leaf replied, smirking as she crossed her arms, turning to the side. Hilda stopped, turning back halfway.

"Hilbert is anything but innocent," she responded, both glaring at each other, their pokemon exchanging glares as well.

* * *

><p>"What? Now <em>Hilda's<em> in it, too?" Brendan asked, looking surprised.

"I'm afraid so. As well as that, the two had a little dispute before my match with Ash and they are not on friendly terms, at the moment," Red frowned, hands in his pockets.

"They have a match together, it's the next semi-final one, right? They should both be training right now," Paul stated, Brendan's eyes widening.

"If they're not on friendly terms, what if they run into each other training?" Brendan asked, Paul and Red looking at him in frightened agreement.

"Al_riiight_!" the trio nearly jumped, surprised as Hilbert appeared in front of them with a camera. "If there's a chick fight, I'm your guy to record it! Come on!"

* * *

><p>"Oh, no," Ash shuddered, a strange feeling going up his spine.<p>

"What is it?" the nurse asked, looking at him curiously.

"I just got a bad feeling, and I mean _really_ bad," the nurse watched as the trainer hurried out of the center, disappearing outside. He closed his eyes, waiting for a few moments before looking towards the trees. He moved quickly through the brush, pushing aside branches as he moved towards what he thought to be a near-soon scene.

"At least I'm not flashing every guy I run by."

"At least I leave something to the imagination."

"Crap, I'm too late..." Ash muttered, giving a quiet sigh as he looked through the bushes ahead. In a small clearing, Hilda and Leaf were facing each other a short distance apart, two powerful pokemon standing by them.

"What, are you saying _shorts_ are worse than _skirts_?" Hilda asked quizzically, laughing to herself.

"That's exactly what I'm saying, miss two-timer," Leaf smirked, Hilda's fists clenching at her sides.

"What was that?" she asked, glaring at the brunette across from her.

"You heard me," she replied, smirking as the pair exchanged glares again.

"Emboar, Flamethrower!"

"Venusaur, Solarbeam!"

"Alright, that's enough," Ash stated, stepping out of the bushes. He moved between the two pokemon, who looked oddly at him as they charged their powerful attacks, but neither of the girls said anything. Ash looked oddly at both of them. "Uh...Leaf? Hilda?"

"Fire!" Ash looked surprised, neither pokemon hesitating from their trainer's command as they fired their attacks. Ash watched in shock as the two attacks were released, a burst of light releasing from his pocket. The light took form as a blue canine on hind legs, holding its arms out in each direction. A sphere of blue energy appeared in both palms, the attacks colliding as they were blocked from hitting the trainer. Both attacks disappeared into the spheres, the canine allowing its energy to disappear into the air.

"Thanks, Lucario," Ash smiled at the fighting-type, who nodded as it crossed its arms. The fire-type and grass-type both felt uneasy, watching their powerful attacks be received as if nothing. Both took a slight step back hesitantly, the canine looking at both of them with a hardened glare. "Don't worry, Lucario. Hilda! Leaf!"

"Huh?" both girls blinked, confused to see two figures between them. "Ash!" they both gasped, noticing their friend with his arms crossed.

"I'm disappointed in you, _both_ of you," he said sternly, turning towards the trees followed by the canine.

"What? She started it!" they told him simultaneously, pointing at each other as their pokemon watched with a frown. Ash looked back, recalling his fighting-type.

"You battle each other tomorrow, letting your emotions control you at this point is a crucial mistake. Start acting like real trainers, and battle with your hearts instead of anger," Ash told them, disappearing through the brush as they stared at him in confusion. They blinked, looking at each other, then turned away with a huff, crossing their arms.

* * *

><p>"I never would have thought those two would be affected this much..." Ash muttered, frowning as he glanced back at the trees. He shook his head, then something clicked in his mind. "Oh, Lucario, I need you again," he called out the fighting-type, who looked at him expectantly. "Sorry, but can you use Aura Sphere right there in five seconds?" the fighting-type followed his point to a specific spot in the dirt, holding its palms out and charging a sphere of blue energy. "Three...Two..."<p>

"Cat-fight! Cat-fight!"

"Now."

* * *

><p>"Whoa!" Max shouted, suddenly falling off the side of the bed. He adjusted his glasses, looking oddly at a glass of water on the nightstand beside him, the water rippling, the boy looking around the entire room and realizing everything was shaking. "E-Earthquake!"<p>

"Maaax!" the boy was suddenly crushed by a larger figure, squeezing the boy tightly.

"M-May! Let me go!" Max shouted, both looking around the room, confused. "Hey...It stopped..."

* * *

><p>"Ooooooww...Caaaaat..."<p>

"You're too predictable, you know," Ash sighed, recalling the fighting-type as he looked down at the injured and dirtied man on the ground, a camera on the ground a few feet with metallic pieces lying around it. "And look at that, you broke your best camera."

"Nooooo! My cat-fight footage!" Hilbert shouted into the sky, holding the destroyed camera close to his chest.

"You didn't have anything, idiot. Besides, I already broke it up," Hilbert looked at him in shock.

"Ash, what were you _thinking_! You broke up a _cat-fight_?" he asked, eyes wide.

"No, I broke up a fight between my _friends_. I didn't see anything indecent happening, so that title won't work," Ash told him, the Unova trainer looking at him with a glare.

"How could you...I thought we were friends amongst men..."

"Stop talking like that, it makes me think all your injuries are actually affecting your brain," Ash sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he looked towards the battle areas. He noticed three distinct figures moving towards them.

"Wow, you actually got him in time?" Brendan asked, surprised. "At the speed he was going, I thought he was gonna be done and gone within seconds."

"Actually, I couldn't resist dancing for a few minutes before I came over here," Hilbert chuckled, crossing his arms behind his head as the others sighed.

"So, Ash, I assume you were able to stop them without difficulty?" Red asked the trainer, who nodded.

"Well, they're both really close friends of yours. There's no way they would attack if you were between them," Paul stated, arms crossed.

"Actually, that's not all true," they looked at Ash in surprised, who shrugged. "I did go between them, but I had to get Lucario to block the attacks. They were so angry they didn't even notice me, I guess this argument meant more than I thought."

"Really? If they don't notice you trying to stop them, then they could be as dangerous as Palkia and Dialga," Paul stated, everyone giving a nod in agreement.

"Well, it's getting kinda late for me, I'm gonna turn in," Brendan told them, everyone looking oddly at him as he started walking.

"It's only 7:30."

"Like I said, it's pretty late for me. See ya tomorrow!"

"...Now I'm feeling tired myself..."

"...Am I the only one wondering what time he usually sleeps?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next morning...<strong>_

"Aaaah..." Hilbert stretched, lurching forward as an unusual snap occured in his lower back. "Ow! What the heck...?"

"Probably from your fall yesterday," he looked over at Ash, who was sitting against his usual tree with Pikachu, Espeon and Umbreon resting on his legs. "You know, from your little 'cat-fight' obssession?"

"...Oh, yeah," he rubbed the back of his head, giving another tired yawn as he weakly got to his feet. He collapsed, face in the grass as he began to feel comfortable.

"Here," Hilbert glanced up, noticing Ash holding out a small bar. Hilbert took it, inspecting the label. "It may not be much, but granola can be filling at times."

"...Thanks, I guess," Hilbert said suspiciously, inspecting the bar further as he looked at every inch of the outside. Ash watched him in amusement, knowing he thought it was some trick, before finally realizing it was just food. He happily opened the wrapping, taking a bite from the inside contents.

"Man, what a night..." the pair looked across the clearing, looking confused and shocked as Zo stepped through the bushes, yawning. She noticed their strange looks, frowning. "What? Is there something in my hair?"

"Where the heck were _you_? I don't think I saw you at all yesterday!" Hilbert stated, the girl giggling to herself.

"I was in the bleachers for Ash's battle, of course," she told them, then blinked as she looked into the sky, tapping her chin. "...The rest of the day...I don't quite remember..."

"You don't remember what you were doing an entire day?" Ash asked, the girl giving a shrug as she sat beside the pair. Her eyes lit up as she saw the bar in Hilbert's hand, snatching it from him and taking a bite.

"Hey! Ash gave that to _me_!" Hilbert complained, the girl poking her tongue out.

"Ladies gotta eat, where's your gentleman act now?" she asked.

"You're no lady, you're a pokemon."

"Hilbert, I have plenty more."

"Oh, thanks."

"Yoink."

"Dammit!"

* * *

><p>"Man...Today is gonna be crazy..." Brendan yawned, sitting in the mall's cafe with a coffee.<p>

"Sure is," Paul said, sitting in the chair across from him with a latte. "Leaf and Hilda are battling in an hour, and they're still mad at each other."

"At this point, all we can expect is a battle of anger instead of heart," Red sat in the chair between the two, holding a mocha. Brendan looked oddly at each of their drinks, then back at the small booth he had purchased his drink from.

"They sold caffein to _three _under-age teenagers?"

"Economy's falling apart, Brendan. Look around."

"What? What am I looking for?"

* * *

><p>"Where is she...?" Goodshow asked himself, looking impatiently at his watch. "...At this rate, we'll have to postpone the match until this afternoon...The spectators won't be happy about that..."<p>

"You could just disqualify her, she obviously doesn't care about this match enough to deserve staying in," Hilda remarked, leaning against the statue's side with arms crossed.

"...No, we'll wait a little longer," Hilda frowned, giving a quiet sigh.

* * *

><p>"Come on, you can't seriously be doing this <em>now<em> of all times," Ash sighed, looking irritated at Hilbert.

"Come on, man, I'm gonna want a snack during the match," Hilbert chuckled nervously, backing away from the trainer. "I'll be back in a bit, I'll make it in time."

"Cotton candy for me!" Zo called out as the trainer dashed away, Ash looking intently at her. "What? He got me thinking."

"Just don't get sick, I gotta take care of something so find a seat for yourself," Ash told her, the girl grabbing his arm.

"Hey, where are you going? You can't possibly miss the match between Hilda and Leaf, they will literally _kill_ you if they found out you missed it!" Zo smiled, pulling the trainer towards the entrance.

"I'm sorry, Zo, but I really gotta do something first. I'll be back before Hilbert, okay?" the girl watched sadly as he hurried away, frowning as she crossed her arms. "_Leaf...You're not at the match yet, are you...?_" Ash thought to himself, looking around as he searched for the brunette. Something clicked in his head, the trainer hurrying through the trees until he reached the campsite. He looked around with a frown, then heard something. Sniffling. "It has to be..." Ash hurried in the direction of the sound, finding the small clearing from the other day. In the middle, Leaf stood with her head low, fists at her sides. "Leaf."

"...Ash...?" she asked softly, slowly looking back at him. Ash frowned, noticing the brunette was letting tears down her cheeks. She noticed his sad look, quickly wiping at the tears. "...I'm sorry, you must think I'm weak for being like this..."

"It only means you're human," Ash told her, moving towards her and stopping a few feet away. "Leaf, you battle in a few minutes. Why are you here?"

"...Ash...What do you think of Hilda?" Ash was surprised by her words, caught off-guard. "...She's your friend...But do you feel more than that?"

"...Leaf, she's just a close friend, that's all," Ash told her, feeling nervous on the topic. "You don't have to worry about it, you have to focus for your battle. Come on, let's go back."

"...So nothing more than friends...?" Leaf asked quietly, looking sadly at Ash's hand held out to her. She remained still for a few moments, then smiled as she took his. "...You're right. I'm letting this get to my head," the two smiled, hurrying back to the arena.

* * *

><p>"Where are they?" Zo tapped her toe impatiently, looking around with her arms crossed.<p>

"I dunno...But soon...Goodshow will have to postpone...The match..." Hilbert said between bites, chewing on small handfuls of popcorn. The girl glared at him.

"You're gonna be finished before the match starts. And you didn't get me my cotton candy."

"You stole my breakfast."

"...Aw, crap, I didn't think you would be smart enough to think of that..."

"Don't underestimate me."

"I guess I shouldn't, if you can still walk after the Charizard attacks."

"The past is the past, let's forget it and move on."

"That sounds familiar...Like some show on tv or something..."

"Hey, there they are!" Hilbert pointed, the girl following his point as they both saw Ash and Leaf running towards them.

"Go do your best," Ash panted, the brunette giving a nod as she sprinted ahead past the pair. Ash slowed down, stopping by them as he breathed heavily.

"You're out of shape, you know that?" Zo asked, arching an eyebrow at the trainer.

"Don't you remember what happened the first time we went to the lake?"

"...Apparently they've never seen a real guy before."

"Ladies and gentlemen! Our semi-finalists have arrived!" Goodshow spoke into the microphone, everyone jumping at the sudden booming voice. A few quiet curses were heard, Ash, Hilbert and Zo chuckling nervously. "Trainers, please take your spots on the battlefield."

"Guess it's finally time..." Zo smiled, the trio taking their seats by Ash's old friends on the bleachers with Hilbert continuing to chow down. On the field, the two female trainers stepped into their respective boxes. Both girls looked across the field, Hilda smirking with arms crossed and Leaf looking determined with fists at her sides.

"The second semi-finalist match will be held between the...Violent man-killer from Unova...Hilda!" Hilda looked confused at Goodshow, who was looking oddly at his papers. A burst of laughter suddenly became heard in the audience, Hilbert punching his knee repeatedly as he nearly choked on his snacks.

"I knew it was worth it to send that in!" he laughed, Zo and Ash closing their eyes with a sigh, shaking their heads. Hilbert continued to laugh loudly, until a pokeball was suddenly forced into his face, knocking him back. Hilda planted her foot back on the ground, feeling satisfied from her kick.

"...And the brunette beauty from Kanto...Leaf!" the brunette flicked her bang behind her head, smiling to the crowd. Most of the male population erupted into cheer, a few restraining themselves due to a girl beside them glaring.

"This will be a six-on-six battle!" the ref announced, raising his flags in the air. He looked to both trainers. "Trainers, choose your first pokemon!"

"Let's get this party started!" Leaf called out, tossing her pokeball into the air.

"Let's do this with style!" Hilda tossed her sphere into the air, both spinning for a few moments as they held themselves in the air. They both suddenly burst open, a bright flash of light striking the field on each side as they took form. Leaf's light had taken form of a pink oval-shaped body with bunny ears and Hilda's was a purple cat with a yellow underbelly of fur.

"Wigglytuff vs. Liepard! Begin!"

"Wigglytuff, Tri Attack!" the normal-type released a triangle formed by a yellow, blue and red sphere.

"Dodge," the cat jumped into the air, doing a back-flip as the spheres struck the ground where it stood, releasing small flames, ice and electricity. "Get close and use Hypnosis!" the cat's feet hit the ground, suddenly bursting forward at a great speed.

"Mega Punch!" the pokemon thrust its fist forward, but the cat suddenly disappeared and re-appeared beside it. It looked at the cat in surprise, a strange feeling overcoming its body and mind as it saw the dark-type's glowing eyes. It suddenly closed its eyes, falling to the ground. "Wigglytuff!"

"Night Slash, then Slash!" the cat's claws glowed red as it slashed across the pokemon's chest, then the glow changed to pure white as it slashed again, jumping back to its trainer's side. "Now Hyper Beam," the cat opened its mouth, charging a white sphere.

"Wigglytuff, wake up! Please!" Leaf pleaded, but the normal-type continued to snore as the cat charged the dangerous attack. The sphere suddenly burst into a ray of white glowing energy streaked with pink, exploding on contact with the opponent's back. The explosion tossed it into the air, coming back down with a painful collision, eyes replaced by swirls. "Wigglytuff!"

"Wigglytuff is unable to battle! Liepard wins!" the ref raised his left flag, looking towards the smirking Hilda and dark-type. Leaf frowned, recalling her pokemon and kissing the pokeball briefly before pulling another.

"Alakazam, it's your turn!" the sphere burst open in the air, releasing a human-like figure with a long mustache and holding two spoons. Hilda laughed to herself.

"You sent out a psychic-type? You must want to lose more badly than I thought," Hilda called out, Leaf smirking.

"Then why haven't you attacked?" Leaf asked, Hilda looking intently at the brunette with a frown.

"Alakazam vs. Liepard! Begin!"

"Liepard, Night Slash!" the cat burst forward, claws glowing red.

"Psycho Cut on the ground!" the psychic-type drew back its spoons, crossing them and releasing a blade of psychic energy which exploded on the ground in front of it. Dust raised into the air, the dark-type bursting through it and slashing. But the psychic-type had disappeared. "Fire Punch!" the cat cried out in pain, glaring up angrily as the psychic-type drew back its flaming fist from the cat's back. It jumped back to its side, stumbling as the pain from the scorch mark on its back intensified.

"Liepard, are you okay?" the cat nodded, standing defensively. "We can get them with one hit, you'll have to do your best. Slash!" the cat burst forward, claws glowing.

"Shadow Ball on the ground!" the purple sphere exploded, raising dust again.

"Stop and crossover Night Slash, straight up!" the cat dug its claws into the ground, stopping it in its tracks and slashing its claws across, the energy transferring to the air and moving up into the air, striking the materializing psychic-type.

"So you saw through it, and so quickly," Leaf frowned, watching her pokemon descend to the ground. "Alakazam, let's finish this quickly!"

"As if! Shadow Ball!" the cat opened its mouth, several spheres of purple energy forming and shooting forward. The psychic-type prepared itself, the spheres exploding around it. It teleported away, appearing in the air, but the cat was already in the air going after it. "Night Slash!"

"I can't believe you fell for that," Hilda looked confused at her words, then gasped as the psychic-type disappeared again, leaving her pokemon defenseless in the air. "Now, finish with Drain Punch!" the cat began to fall and saw the psychic-type appear in the air above it, dropping with its fist glowing in a pulsing green. The fist crashed into its chest, the cat's eyes widening as it was forced down and crashing into the ground, its eyes replaced by swirls.

"Liepard is unable to battle! Alakazam is the winner!" the ref raised his flags to the right, where Leaf stood smiling with the psychic-type.

"You did great, Liepard," Hilda smiled to the pokeball, switching it with another and tossing it into the air. The light hit the field, taking form as a large combination of spinning gears.

"Alakazam vs. Klinklang! Begin!"

"Klinklang, Discharge!" the steel-type pokemon moved to the center of the field, the red bulb on it beginning to spark.

"Alakazam, quickly use Drain Punch!" the psychic-type burst forward, fist glowing green.

"Perfect. Metal Sound!" the gear pokemon released a powerful and ear-splitting screech of grinding metal, the psychic-type stopping its attack to cover its ears. The crowd grunted and complained as they held their ears, Hilda smirking. "Lock-On!" the pokemon's eyes glowed red, a small target gloating out from them and hitting the psychic-type's forehead.

* * *

><p>"Now Alakazam's in trouble," Ash crossed his arms, frowning as he watched the electric-type expectantly.<p>

"Lock-On is a move that guarantees the hit of the next attack," Brock stated, the blunette and brunette looking curiously at him.

"So she could hit Alakazam with anything she wanted right now?" Dawn asked, the man giving a nod.

"There's no doubt she will take this chance to hit Leaf with real power," Hilbert smirked, reaching into his plastic bucket. Looking down confused, his eyes widened as he saw nothing left. "Dammit!"

* * *

><p>"Zap Cannon!" Hilda commanded, the gear pokemon releasing a sphere of pulsing electricity glowing with power.<p>

"Alakazam, Psycho Cut!" the psychic-type released a blade of energy towards the sphere, but it moved out of the way and continued towards it. "Get behind Klingklang!"

"Using a shield, huh?" Hilda asked, smirking as she watched the psychic-type teleport behind her pokemon. The sphere stopped, moving back towards the steel-type. Leaf smirked, watching the sphere on a guaranteed attack course. The sphere moved up slightly, moving carefully between the spinning gears and finding the target on Alakazam's forehead, causing an explosion of powerful sparks. The psychic-type was sent back quite a distance, crashing to the ground with sparks coursing through its body.

"Alakazam!" Leaf called, worried for her pokemon's safety.

"It's a guaranteed hit no matter what gets in its way, Lock-On helps the move get around anything that could block it and hit the target dead-on," Hilda called across the field, smirking. "What makes you think you can avoid the inevitable?"

"...Alakazam, Shadow Ball!" the psychic-type released several purple spheres of energy, exploding on the steel-type. "Now Psycho Cut!" the blade of energy slashed across the steel body, exploding. "Finish with Drain Punch!"

"Metal Sound!" the electric pokemon released a powerful screech of metal, the psychic-type cancelling its attack to protect its ears again. "Mirror Shot!" the steel ray shot from the pokemon, pushing into the opponent's chest and sending it back crashing into the wall.

"Alakazam!" the psychic-type fell to the ground, grunting as it struggled to get to its feet.

"I guess we should wrap this up, Klingklang. Thunder," the steel pokemon's red bulb began to spark, glowing from the power as the devastating bolt of electricity shot towards the psychic-type.

"Alakazam, Brick Break!" the psychic-type snapped its head up, disappearing from sight as the electricity exploded on the ground, leaving a charrged black spot. The gears looked around, seeing the psychic-type swinging its glowing fist around, crashing into its side and sending it crashing into the wall. "Finish with Drain Punch!" the high-IQ pokemon thrust its green-glowing fist into the steel-type's central gear, feeling the energy transfer from the gears to its body. It pulled its fist back, feeling refreshed as the gears fell to the ground, not moving.

"Klingklang is unable to battle! Alakazam wins!" the ref raised his left flag, the psychic-type returning to Leaf's side. Hilda recalled her steel-type, smiling as she pulled another pokeball.

"Escavalier!" Hilda called, the burst of light taking form as a floating figure with two extended lances as arms.

"Alakazam vs. Escavalier! Begin!"

"Escavalier, Bug Buzz!" the steel-type extended its lances, giving a screech which emitted into a transmission through the air, the psychic-type freezing on the spot from hearing it. "Iron Head into X-Scissor!" the steel-type's head gleamed silver, crashing into the psychic-type's chest sending it back. It drew back its arms, crossing them over releasing a powerful X-shaped attack which forced the opponent into the wall, struggling to stand from the consecutive attacks.

"Alakazam, can you keep going?" the psychic-type nodded, holding itself on one knee. Leaf looked curiously at her opponent. "...It's fast...Really fast..."

"Finish with Twineedle!" the bug extended its arms, releasing a twin-attack of sharp pins.

"Trick Room," Lefa whispered, the psychic-type closing its eyes and releasing a psychic power around the battlefield. The attack contacted, exploding on the psychic-type just after psychic walls appeared around the field, fading away. The smoke cleared, revealing the psychic-type without movement.

"Alakazam is unable to battle! Escavalier is the winner!" the ref raised his right flag, looking to Hilda and the bug-type. Leaf recalled her pokemon, kissing it briefly before exchanging from her belt.

"Nidoqueen, your time to shine!" she tossed the sphere and it burst open, releasing a dinosaur on two legs with a single horn on its forehead, stomping the ground.

"Nidoqueen vs. Escavalier! Begin!"

"Escavalier, Iron head!" the bug burst forward, head shining silver.

"Dodge and use Flamethrower," the dino suddenly disappeared, surprising Hilda and her bug-type.

"What!" she gasped, seeing the dino appear again beside the bug and releasing a powerful searing flame, pushing it into the side wall. "But...How did it...?"

"Finish with Superpower!" the ground-type burst forward at an alarming and unexpected speed, its body giving a radiant and powerful glow as it raised its arms in the air, bringing them back down on the steel-type and exploding near the wall. The dino appeared again by Leaf, then the dust settled revealing the steel-type down and out.

"Escavalier is unable to battle! Nidoqueen wins!" the ref raised his left flag, looking to the confident pair. Hilda recalled her pokemon, looking oddly at the dino.

"How can it move so fast...?" she asked herself, then recalled something. "...Alakazam was a psychic-type...That had to be it..."

* * *

><p>"How is Nidoqueen that fast!" Max gasped, eyes shimmering at the sight of the dino's speed.<p>

"Clear training and good care," Brock stated, looking curiously at the well-trainer ground-type.

"That's not all," everyone looked at Ash curiously, who was smirking. "You didn't see it?"

"No, what didn't we see?" Zo asked, looking at him expectantly. Ash looked back at the dino, then at Leaf with a smile.

"Right before Alakazam fainted, Leaf used a turn-around strategy."

* * *

><p>"Reuniclus, your turn!" the sphere opened and released a floating green figure with two large arms, small circles visible within its blobby body.<p>

"Nidoqueen vs. Reuniclus! Begin!"

"Nidoqueen, Flamethrower!" the dino released a powerful flame, advancing on the psychic-type.

"Psyshock!" the green blob's eyes glowed, a wave of psychic energy sent forward and colliding with the flames, cancelling out both attacks. "Hidden Power!" several small green orbs appeared around it, shooting forward.

"Dodge and use Mega Punch!" the dino quickly disappeared, moving quickly up the side of the field and bringing back a glowing fist.

"Dodge and use Drain Punch!" the psychic-type moved to the side just as the fist was to connect, avoiding it and sending a green-glowing fist into its stomach. "Now Energy Ball, then Psyshock!" the green blob formed a green sphere of natural energy, exploding on the ground-type's chest and sending it rolling back to its side. It released a powerful wave of psychic energy, the dino giving a pained shout as it caused heavy damage.

"Nidoqueen!" Leaf gasped, watching her pokemon suddenly be injured so easily. She looked curiously at the psychic-type, then realized.

"...Reuniclus is as slow as Nidoqueen..."

* * *

><p>"How did Reuniclus do that!" Max gasped, eyes gleaming again.<p>

"Hilda is using Leaf's strategy against her," Ash told them, everyone looking confused again.

"You didn't tell us what it was last time!" Ash sighed, looking at Zo who only stared angrily at him.

"Alakazam was going to faint and Leaf knew it, so she used a strategy move for future battling. RIght before Alakazam was hit with Twineedle, she used Trick Room," he explained, everyone understanding.

"Oooh! She used Trick Room, then sent out Nidoqueen to use it for her advantage!" Max stated, everyone nodding.

"Now you get it, let's continue to watch," Ash said.

"But how is Reuniclus faster than Nidoqueen right now?" May asked, looking oddly at the psychic-type.

"Because Reuniclus is slower than Nidoqueen."

"...Huh?"

* * *

><p>"You know, I've caught on to your little trick!" Hilda called out, Leaf looking curiously at her. "Using a psychic-type, then a slow pokemon is suddenly faster than lightning."<p>

"So you really did figure it out, I have to say I'm surprised," Leaf smirked, looking at the psychic-type opposing her. "And you must have, since you sent out a slow pokemon as well."

"Exactly, now I'll use your strategy to beat you! Psyshock!" the wave of psychic energy enveloped the dino again, causing pain.

"Nidoqueen, Flamethrower!" the dino released a stream of flames.

"Push through and use Drain Punch!" the green blob burst forward, pushing into the flames and through them as it continued towards the ground-type. Bursting through the flames with burns on its body, it forced a glowing fist into the dino's stomach and pushed it into the back wall. The dino choked, falling to the ground as it pulled its fist back, feeling satisfied with the energy it absorbed.

"Nidoqueen is unable to battle! Reuniclus wins!" the ref raised his right flag, looking at the psychic-type and Hilda. Leaf returned her pokemon and pecked the sphere lightly, switching it with another on her belt.

"It's your time now!" the sphere burst open, the shining light taking quick form and fading. The crowd looked confused as a small pink blob sat on the field, a blank expression.

"Ditto vs. Reuniclus! Begin!"

"Ditto, Transform!" the pink blob glowed, expanding into a copy of its opponent.

"I know you want our power, but it won't help you win! Energy Ball!" the green sphere burst across the field.

"Psyshock!" the psychic wave stopped the sphere, exploding it in the center of the field. "Drain Punch!" the figure burst forward through the smoke and slammed its fist into the psychic-type's chest, pushing it to the back wall.

"Reuniclus doesn't have that speed!" Hilda gasped, eyes wide as she watched the former pink blob release brute force.

"Energy Ball, then Hidden Power!" the green sphere exploded on its chest, several smaller green orbs appearing around Leaf's pokemon.

"Psyshock!" Hilda called out.

"Dodge," Leaf's pokemon moved across the field in an instant, leaving the attack's range and firing the small green spheres. Reuniclus pushed itself from the wall, eyes widening as it saw the small orbs dart at a high speed towards it, exploding on its body. "Finish with Drain Punch!" Leaf's pokemon burst forward, glowing fist drawn back.

"Drain Punch!" Hilda's psychic-type thrust its fist forward, striking the opponent's chest before its fist could reach it. It choked, stumbling back as it received intense damage from the attack. "Now Energy Ball!" the green sphere hit the pokemon's chest, exploding and sending it back to the ground by the half-line.

"Ditto! Come on, you can do it!" the green body struggled to get into the air, a pained expression on its face.

"Drain Punch again!" the psychic-type shot forward, forcing its fist into its chest again. Ditto choked, being sent soaring back and crashing into the wall behind Leaf. It fell to the ground, returning to its original pink form with eyes replaced by swirls.

"Ditto is unable to battle! Reuniclus wins!"

* * *

><p>"How did Ditto lose in two attacks!" Dawn gasped, looking surprised as Leaf recalled her pink pokemon.<p>

"Leaf got overconfident with Ditto's transformation, and underestimated Hilda's knowledge," Ash stated, everyone looking confused at him again. He sighed. "When a ditto transforms, it doesn't receive the opponent's type, only moves and appearance. So while looking like a reuniclus, it was still a normal-type. She thought Hilda didn't know this about Transform, but Hilda did know and relied on the fighting-type move Drain Punch, which is super-effective on normal-types."

"So Hilda used fighting-type moves because Ditto was still a normal-type? That's how it fainted so easily?" May asked.

"Yes, and Drain Punch has a high power level, so Ditto must have been very strong to have stayed strong after one," Ash stated, looking at Leaf with a frown. _"You're losing it, Leaf...Come on..."_

* * *

><p>"You're up, Leafeon!" Leaf called out, tossing the pokeball and releasing a small four-legged figure, a light skin shade with leaves growing from its ears and legs with a larger leaf for a tail.<p>

"Leafeon vs. Reuniclus! Begin!"

"Energy Ball!" the psychic-type released the green sphere, advancing on the grass-type.

"Leaf Blade!" the grass-type's tail extended into a green blade, swinging around and slicing the sphere. The sphere began to glow, fading away as the grass-type's tail began to glow brighter. "Now attack!"

"Stopping our attack won't help you! Dodge!" Hilda called out, the green blob floating upward. Hilda watched in confusion.

"We didn't just stop it!" Leaf called back, the grass-type forcing its blade into the psychic-type's head, sending it crashing into the ground.

"Why was Reuniclus so slow in dodging...? No, it can't be...!" Hilda looked at her pokemon in surprise, watching it float again with difficulty.

"What's the matter? Feeling _slow_?" Leaf laughed, smirking as she noticed Hilda's expression turn to anger. "Trick Room is over, so your time is up! X-Scissor!" the grass-type flipped in the air, crossing its front legs as its feet extended into dark green blades. The grass-type dropped from the air, crashing into the psychic-type in an explosion of super-effective power. The dust settled, revealing Leafeon grooming itself and the green blob knocked out.

"Reuniclus is unable to battle! Leafeon wins!" the ref raised his left flag, looking towards the victorious pair.

"Return, Reuniclus. You did an awesome job," Hilda smiled, replacing the pokeball with another. She smirked, tossing it and releasing a large bird with a frightening look.

"Leafeon vs. Mandibuzz! Begin!"

* * *

><p>"That Leafeon is really powerful! When it used Leaf Blade against that Energy Ball and it glowed brighter, it seemed like it absorbed it!" May beamed, looking admiringly at the grass-type.<p>

"I think it did," everyone looked surprised at Ash, who smirked. "Leaf's been training a long time, and we all know she's no one you want to underestimate. Who knows what she's trained her pokemon to do."

"Maybe, but remember that Hilda's no push-over," Hilbert stated, smirking as he rested his elbow on his knees, folding his hands over his mouth. "Mandibuzz is one of her top pokemon, Leaf will definitely have troubles getting around it."

"You really got it bad..."

* * *

><p>"X-Scissor!" the grass-type dashed down the field, its paws beginning to glow.<p>

"Into the air," the bird extended its wings, flapping off the ground and climbing into the air.

"After it!" the grass-type leaped, advancing towards it with its feet crossed and glowing in an X-shape.

"Dodge and use Bone Rush!" the bird moved to the side, the grass-type continuing forward in the air. The bird formed a glowing bone in its wing, striking the defenseless pokemon with it repeatedly, then striking it to the ground in a painful collision. "Now Dark Pulse!" the bird fired a chain-like attack of dark energy, exploding on contact with the weakened opponent.

"Leafeon!" Leaf called, worried as her pokemon sustained damage. The grass-type got to its feet, scratches on several places of its body. "Use Sunny Day!" the small pokemon cried out, firing an orange sphere into the open sky above them. The sphere continued through the open roof into the sun, exploding into shining particles as the sun's heat and brightness suddenly intensified.

* * *

><p>"Sunny Day increases fire-type moves, doesn't it?" Dawn asked, wincing as she shielded her eyes from the light.<p>

"Normally, yes, but it can also be used to speed up lengthy grass-type attacks, like Solarbeam," Ash told her, the girl nodding.

"I guess this is where Leaf is gonna make a comeback," Max told them, the group nodding in agreement.

"And she better do it quickly since Sunny Day doesn't last forever, and her opponent is a flying-type," Ash added, looking at the confident-smiling brunette.

* * *

><p>"Leaf Blade!" the grass-type's tail extended, swinging it around towards the bird.<p>

"Block it!" the bird extended one wing and blocked the tail, Leaf smiling.

"Now Giga Drain!" Hilda watched in surprise as several pulsing waves of grass energy extended from Leafeon's body, enveloping the bird as its glow changed from green to red.

"Mandibuzz, break out!" the bird flapped quickly into the air, breaking from the glow as it retreated back into Leafeon's body, the scratches and marks on its body disappearing.

"Thanks for the help! Leaf Blade again!" the grass-type burst forward again with an extended glowing tail.

"Take to the air and counter with Bone Rush!" the bird flew into the air, the grass-type following it as it formed a glowing bone in its wing. They both swung their attacks, crashing together in the air. The bird suddenly climbed upward more, the grass-type unable to reach it as it began to fall to the ground. The bird dove after it, striking repeatedly with the bone sending it crashing down. "Now Air Slash!" the air formed in its wing as a circular mass, being thrown and exploding on the weakened pokemon.

"Leafeon! Don't give up!" the grass-type nodded, quickly getting to its feet again.

"How can it still stand?" Hilda asked herself, looking oddly at the grass-type. "No matter, I'll take it out in a few moments. Dark Pulse!"

"Dodge!" the grass-type jumped to the side, dodging the explosion of the dark-type attack and running down the side of the field. The bird continued to fire consecutive attacks, each exploding but being dodged by its opponent. "Get in with Leaf Blade!"

"Air Slash!" the bird launchde the swirling mass of air at the airborne grass-type, who looked intently at the oncoming attack.

"Cut through it!" the grass-type swung its tail down, slicing clean through the air. "Now Giga Drain!" several glowing tentacles extended from its body, surprising the bird as it was enveloped once again, feeling its energy be drained away.

"Mandibuzz, Dark Pulse!" the bird put on a serious look, shooting the dark-type attack through the blobby tentacles and exploding on the grass-type. Both dropped to the ground, panting from the previous attacks. "That thing is really putting up a fight..."

"That bird sure is tough..." Leaf told herself, looking at the panting bird. "It's getting tired now, but so is Leafeon...And we can't rely on Giga Drain forever, she's probably caught it after two times now..."

"Into the air!" the bird flapped its wings, ascending into the sky.

"Leaf Blade on the ground!" _"We're finishing this..."_ the grass-type struck its tail into the ground, being propelled upward into the sky after the bird. "Leaf Blade again!"

"Bone Rush!" the two attacks collided, both glaring at the other as they bounced off. "Hit it to the ground!" the bird struck the grass-type again, sending it to the ground.

"Bounce back!" the grass-type flipped backward as it fell, gently touching on the ground and springing back into the air. The bird dived, both having a fire lit in their eyes.

"Brave Bird, let's go!"

"X-Scissor, full power!"

* * *

><p>"Those two are planning to finish it..." Ash said to himself, looking at both of the brunettes fighting with a serious expression. "But those powers together won't leave a winner..."<p>

* * *

><p>The grass-type crossed its front feet, extending into a glowing X-shaped blade as the bird became surrounded in a powerful glowing blue aura. Both called out one final time, colliding fiercely in an airborne explosion. The smoke spread across the field, no one able to see what was happening. As everyone went quiet for a result, the impact of something hitting the ground was heard from the smoke. It began to clear, the crowd gasped as it was revealed that the grass-type was lying with its eyes closed on the ground, the bird standing covered in scratches and wincing from the sparks going through its body.<p>

"Leafeon is unable to battle! Mandibuzz wins!" the ref raised his flag to the right, looking towards the smirking Unova trainer and weak pokemon. Leaf frowned, recalling her small grass-type and pecking the pokeball before switching it with another. She looked sadly at the sphere, then her expression turned serious as she tossed it into the air, the ground shaking as the large green four-legged Kanto creature appeared. The ref raised his flags, but looked to the side as he noticed the bird disappearing in a red light. Hilda smiled, pulling another as she tossed it into the air, a large creature appearing as its flaming beard ignited brightly.

"Venusaur vs. Emboar! Begin!"

"I'm surprised you changed pokemon," Leaf called out, smirking.

"Mandibuzz was already weak and would have been defeated quickly, I decided to save it from the pain like a good trainer should," Hilda called back, Leaf biting her lip.

"At least I know fashion for a trainer."

"At least I know fashion for a girl with dignity."

"Don't you know what a good sense of fashion is?"

"Yeah, I obviously look away from you."

"Trainers? This battle is between the pokemon," the ref told them, but the girls were busy glaring at each other to have heard him.

"Venusaur, Solarbeam!"

"Emboar, Flamethrower!" the powerful solar and flaming attacks collided, exploding at the center of the field. "Fire Punch!"

"Hold it back with Vine Whip!" the grass-type extended its vines, restraining the fire-type wiht flaming fists. The Unova starter looked at the vines, then intensified the heat of its flaming beard, the grass-type feeling the heat in its vines. A flame jumped off and landed on the vine, the Kanto starter releasing it and pulling back. Emboar continued forward, striking powerfully with a flaming fist, the grass-type calling out in pain. "Petal Dance!" the grass-type released a wave of sharp flower petals, the fire-type crossing its arms and bearing the attack as it pushed it across the field. It uncrossed its arms, wincing as small scratches were visible on its chest.

"Sludge Bomb!" the grass-type released several blobs of poisonous substance, moving through the air towards the fire-type.

"Flamethrower!" the tall pokemon took a deep breath, releasing a searing flame and incinerating each blob before they reached it. "Again!"

"Solarbeam!" both attacks charged quickly, exploding at the center of the field. Both brunettes glared across the field, their pokemon copying their trainer's actions.

* * *

><p>"This isn't good...They're not listening to what I said..." Ash shook his head, closing his eyes with a sigh.<p>

"I knew they were fighting, but I didn't think they were reckless enough to let it affect them in battle..." Zo stated, blinking in surprise.

"Fighting with anger instead of a trainer's heart is the worst mistake you could make. In the end, you're only letting your pokemon get hurt because of personal problems," Hilbert told them, frowning as he looked at the two starter pokemon. "In this battle, I feel more sorry for Venusaur and Emboar."

"If they're fighting with anger, how far could they go?" Max asked, looking worried at the pokemon.

"They're pretty strong in this argument and if they're fighting angry, then they aren't thinking strategically. They're just throwing attack after attack at each other," Ash told them, the boy giving a nod.

"It's up to whoever has better defense...Or who can snap out of it first," Hilbert said, frowning as he looked at both the brunettes' angry expressions.

* * *

><p>"Hammer Arm!"<p>

"Petal Dance!"

"Push through with Flamethrower!"

"Stop its advance with Earthquake!" Hilda watched her fire-type stumble over as the ground shook. "Now Sludge Bomb!" the several blobs exploded around the Unova starter, some making contact and causing physical damage.

"Flamethrower!" the grass-type's eyes widened as a powerful flame shot from the smoke, burning its left leg as it stumbled to the side, managing to catch its balance. "Fire Punch!"

"Attack its legs with Vine Whip!" the grass-type stepped back as it prepared its vines, but winced as its front leg gave way, the burn mark on its left leg flaring up. The fire-type hurried forward, punching it with a flaming fist.

"That's it, Emboar!" Hilda called out, grinning as she looked angrily at the weakened grass-type.

"Solarbeam!" the grass-type charged the powerful solar attack, firing it at the Unova starter's feet. It exploded beneath it, sending it into the air, flipping backwards as it crashed painfully into the ground. "Way to go, Venusaur!"

"I guess our friendship was a little too close for comfort..." Hilda muttered, directing her angry look to the brunette. _"She was messing with Ash...Ash...What am I doing!"_ Hilda looked in shock at her fire-type, covered in scratches and marks. She looked at the audience, noticing Ash watching the pokemon with interest. She looked at the ground in front of her. _"...This fight has only been our anger...Ash would never fight with anger! He taught me to fight with my heart, and I won't let him down now!"_

"We may have been friends, but it's over now and I never go easy in a battle..." Leaf said to herself, fists clenching at her sides as she looked across the field at her opponent. "Earthquake!" the grass-type shook the ground with a powerful stomp, the fire-type struggling to hold its balance. "Now Frenzy Plant!"

"Emboar, full-power Flare Blitz!"

* * *

><p>"Frenzy Plant is the strongest of grass-type moves, but Flare Blitz is a fire-type move that is close to overpowering it..." Zo stated, watching the pokemon as they both began to glow.<p>

"But that's not all," she looked at Ash in confusion, who smirked as he watched the field. "Frenzy Plant causes physical damage, but Flare Blitz does as well."

"Yeah, but Flare Blitz still has a chance of overpowering it, right?" she asked, the trainer giving a nod.

"It could with great training, but that's not what's important here," Zo looked confused again, Hilbert looked at Ash. "Frenzy Plant uses vines which are formed from the pokemon's power, which can be translated to a new part of its body. The vines will have to hit Emboar-"

"But Flare Blitz covers the user in flames," Hilbert finished, the trainer giving a nod. The trio looked at Hilda.

"Hilda's beginning to think properly again."

* * *

><p>The fire-type became enveloped in intense blue flames, glowing brightly as it charged down the field. The grass-type glowed, stomping the field and releasing several large vines from the ground. Venusaur roared, the vines directing towards the oncoming fire-type. The Unova starter focused its power, the flames growing brighter and more intense as they grew hotter. The vines dropped on the fire-type, pushing it down. But Emboar raised its arms up, covered in bright flames and caught the vines. Venusaur suddenly roared in pain, feeling the intense heat from the fire-type blocking its attack.<br>Emboar threw the vines to the sides, running forward again as Venusaur looked at it angrily. It sent more vines, not thinking as the second they made contact, Venusaur roared in pain from the immense-powered flames. Emboar continued forward, grinning as it shouted out, throwing its flaming shoulder into the grass-type's neck from the side. Venusaur roared out louder in pain, the burning in its neck feeling unbearable as it was pushed back into the wall behind it. Emboar pulled back, the flames around it cutting off.

_"Ash...I've been such an idiot in this battle...But I'm better now. I won't fight angry anymore, and I'll win! I'll win here to beat you!"_ Hilda thought with a grin, looking towards Ash in the audience.

* * *

><p>"I think she's finally snapped out of it," Zo remarked, noticing Hilda looking towards them.<p>

"If she's got out of it, how long do you think it will take for Leaf?" Hilbert asked, looking towards the still-angry brunette. Ash looked at Hilda, realizing exactly where her eyes were set. Him.

"Leaf is fighting to fulfill our promise from when we were kids, but she's blind with anger right now..." Ash told them, frowning as he looked at the opposite brunette.

"But your childhood was innocent, the love in your relationship wasn't actually serious," Hilbert told him. "Neither of you realized the relationship actually meant something, you thought it was just a feeling. It was years ago, but she never forgot it."

"...But Hilda's feelings could have been hidden five years now. The strength she's using now...Even _she_ never knew about it."

* * *

><p>"Sludge Bomb!" the grass-type released several bombs of toxic power.<p>

"Flamethrower, then get close with Fire Punch!" the fire-type burned the blobs into nothing, proceeding to charge forward with its fists flaring.

"Vine Whip on its feet!" the grass-type extended its vines, wrapping them around its feet and pulling them from beneath it.

"Hammer Arm on the ground!" the fire-type's arms glowed, forcing them into the ground. The impact bounced it back up into the air slightly, hitting the field again. Its fists flared again, punching the vines to released their grip. "Fire Punch again!"

"Earthquake!"

"Hammer Arm!" the fire-type forced its arms into the ground again, shaking the field. The grass-type prepared to stomp, but stumbled as the fire-type countered its attack. "Flamethrower!" the fire-type released a searing flame, the grass-type shouting in pain.

"Petal Dance!" the grass-type released several spinning petals towards the Unova starter, but its fists ignited with flames and disintegrated each petal on contact.

"We can win this, Emboar! Flamethrower!" the fire-type released the flames, striking the grass-type with a powerful effect. Leaf watched angrily as the flames injured her pokemon, then she blinked as her pokemon called out in pain. She looked at the pained expression on her starter pokemon, blinking again as she looked across at Hilda. She blinked, confused as she looked around until her eyes found the audience. Her eyes rested on Ash, feeling a tug at her heart.

_"What...What's happening...?"_ she thought, looking at the fire-type opposing her. _"...I've been fighting...But I haven't been thinking..."_

"Fire Punch!" Hilda called out, snapping the girl from her thoughts. She looked at the oncoming fire-type, then her her own grass-type.

"I'm sorry, Venusaur..." she whispered, then her expression grew serious as she looked at the Unova starter. "Sludge Bomb on the ground!" the larger pokemon released a barrage of toxic blobs on the ground, exploding and raising dust into the air. "Now Frenzy Plant!"

"That won't work! Flare Blitz!" the fire-type ignited in bright blue flames, charging at the grass-type.

"Use the vines to shield around you!" Venusaur roared, several vines uprooting from the ground. The large objects circled around the grass-type, forming an onion-looking barrier around it with the top open.

"Ram through it!" Hilda called, the fire-type charging forward in glowing flames. It crashed into the vines, hearing a pained grunt from inside.

"Now, Venusaur!" the vines quickly disappeared into the ground, revealing the grass-type with its flower glowing. The fire-type's eyes widened, receiving the powerful solar ray at close-range. It exploded on its chest, sending it soaring into the air. "Grab it and throw it down!" the grass-type's vines extended and wrapped around the fire-type, throwing the Unova starter to the ground in a painful collision.

"Emboar!" Hilda called, looking worried as her pokemon hit the ground.

* * *

><p>"Now <em>that<em> was effective!" Max cheered, pumping his fist in the air. Ash smirked, glancing at Leaf's smiling face.

"So she's finally out of it..."

* * *

><p>"Emboar, you can do it!" the fire-type struggled to its feet, grunting as it stood again, covered in scratches and marks of pain.<p>

"Keep it up, Venusaur!" Leaf called, the grass-type having bad burn marks on its legs and neck. Both trainers noticed their starters were breathing heavily, frowning. "_They can't go much longer..."_

_"We'll have to make this quick, or it's over..."_ Hilda thought, biting her lip as she looked at the grass-type across the field. _"We have the advantage, but they've trained longer than us..."_

"Let's do it! Petal Dance!" the grass-type released a vortex of swirling petals, advancing on the fire-type.

"Push through with Fire Punch!" the Unova starter dashed forward, blocking each petal with a flaming fist.

"Earthquake!" Leaf called, the grass-type lifting its leg.

"Hammer Arm!" the fire-type slammed its arms into the ground, bouncing up as the grass-type shook the ground. "Flamethrower!"

"Solarbeam!" the two attacks collided, exploding. Emboar hit the ground, running into the smoke. "Petal Dance!"

"Flamethrower!" the flames incinerated the petals, the fire-type emerging from the smoke. "Fire Punch!"

"Toss it up!" the vines quickly wrapped around its chest, being heaved into the air. "Finish this with Frenzy Plant!"

"Emboar, one last Flare Blitz!" the fire-type ignited into glowing blue flames, dropping towards the grass-type below. Several vines emerged from the ground, staying defensively by the grass-type as everyone watched the fire-type drop out of the air at a fast pace.

"All the way, Emboar!"

"Now, Venusaur!"

_"VENAA/BOAAR!"_ the pokemon shouted, Venusaur throwing its vines forward. The fire-type glowed brighter, colliding with the vines and exploding. The crowd gasped as smoke poured over the field, blocking everyone's vision on who prevailed over the other.

* * *

><p>"This is awesome!" Max said enthusiastically, beaming as he watched the smoke with great anticipation.<p>

"Too bad for the smoke, though. I'm dying to know who won!" Dawn squealed, clasping her hands together as she watched the smoke as well.

"That only adds to the anticipation," Brock chuckled, everyone watching the smoke as well. Ash glanced from the smoke to both trainers, who were looking at the smoke with worried expressions. He frowned.

"...I guess time's up, then..."

* * *

><p>"VenusaurEmboar!" Leaf and Hilda called into the smoke respectively, but got no response. The crowd, the trainers, the ref and spectators, everyone was watching the smoke impatiently as they awaited the results of who won. As the smoke began to clear, both trainers noticed the shaded figure of their pokemon. On the ground. "Venusaur/Emboar!" the smoke finally lifted, everyone gasping as both pokemon were seen motionless on the ground.

"Venusaur, you have to stand! Just for a few seconds, please!" Leaf pleaded, but the grass-type remained still with its eyes closed.

"Emboar, Please! You have to get up!" Hilda called out, looking worried at her severely-weak starter. Everyone watched sadly as neither pokemon moved, the trainers lowering their heads in sorrow. The ref frowned, as he couldn't call the semi-finalist match without a victor. The crowd gasped, suddenly, as one pokemon lifted its head, weakly pushing itself off the ground to stand. Both trainers looked up, gasping as they saw the one pokemon beginning to stand. The starter finally got to its feet, shouting a victorious battle cry. The crowd cheered, but Ash frowned, closing his eyes. The ref nodded, raising his flags.

"Leaf's Venusaur is unable to battle! Hilda's Emboar is the winner, so this victory goes to Hilda of Unova!"

**END**

**What an ending :(**

**I'm sorry to those who are disappointed, but I felt like it was easy to expect Leaf as a winner and having a couple-battle for the finals, so I decided to change it up. This will definitely bring drama around, so there will be a chapter or two about that, but I will try to get back to the battles as soon as possible. As well as updating sooner.**

**How will the group react to the battle's outcome? How will Ash?  
>Will Paul and Brendan have to hide from Dawn and May again?<br>Will Ash and Hilbert have to run around?  
>When will the final battle of Ash vs. Hilda begin?<strong>

**Wow, this chapter was almost 11k words. That's a bit much for me. 0_o**


	48. Chapter 48

**I said I would update earlier, and this was my first attempt, yes. Hilda has won the victory over Leaf, moving herself to the finals against Ash. Enjoy...**

Leaf and Hilda stood frozen in shock, both eyes wide. Unable to move, they only stared at their respective partners, the fire-type standing and the grass-type remaining motionless. The crowds on the bleachers, their friends, anyone nearby the battlefield had bursted into applaud and cheering that could rival an exploud's roar. Hilda blinked out of her trance, looking confused at the crowd as they cheered loudly and happily. She looked at her starter again, then her lips broke into a wide smile as small tears formed in her eyes. She suddenly ran forward, hugging the side of the fire-type. "We...We did it! Emboar, you did it! That was amazing, you're the best!" she laughed giddily, the fire-type smiling and laughing along with her as it put an arm around its trainer. Ash looked to the opposite side of the field, where his childhood friend still hadn't moved.

"...I...I...lost..." the brunette's voice was nothing more than a whimper, tears starting to form in her eyes as well. "...She...Venusaur!" the brunette suddenly snapped out of it, hurrying to the grass-type's side and kneeling beside it. "Venusaur, are you okay? Please, tell me you're alright!" she told the pokemon in a worried voice, looking extremely worried. Her mood lifted, however, as the large pokemon's eyes opened, looking at its trainer. "...Thank goodness..."

"_Ve...Venaa..."_ the grass-type grumbled weakly, a vine extending from the plant on its back. The vine stopped near her head, gently wiping her cheek and taking a tear away.

"It's okay, Venusaur...As long as you're okay..." she sniffed, smiling weakly as she hugged the large pokemon. "...You were amazing out there...Thank you..."

* * *

><p>"So Hilda won..." Zo said calmly, thought that word was far from describing the situation.<p>

"...I guess that's it..." the girl looked at Ash, who stood up from his seat. He moved past the girl, touching back on the ground again and turning back to them. "Come on, let's go wait by the entrance," the girl watched confused as the trainer walked away from them, then felt a hand on her shoulder.

"He may have seen Hilda win, but remember he also saw Leaf lose," Hilbert told her, the girl looking at him with a frown. "Let's wait until they leave the field, we'll see them before Ash."

"...Okay," Zo nodded, frowning as she looked back towards the entrance.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please," Goodshow spoke into the microphone, everyone in the area going silent. "With the second semi-final matched now finished, our final match trainers have been decided. They will be Ash of Kanto, and Hilda of Unova!" the crowd burst into cheer again, the short man holding his hand up in a motion for silence. "...Now, for the date of that match...It will be two days from now. Tomorrow will be a day for the trainers to do final preparations on their strategies and moves, as well as resting their pokemon to perfect battle condition. The finalists will meet by the central statue at noon on that day, may we have a thrilling and exciting final match!"<p>

"Two days at noon..." Hilda said to herself, smiling. She took a pokeball from her belt, looking up at her fire-type. "You did amazing today, Emboar. You definitely deserve a long rest," the fire-type nodded, disappearing into the red beam of light.

"You deserve a long rest, Venusaur. You're the best pokemon I could ask for," Leaf smiled, wiping a tear from her eye as she held the pokeball to her starter. The grass-type blinked, disappearing into the red beam. Both trainers looked across the field, both feeling an opposite feeling as they saw one another. They stepped towards the center of the field, stopping a few feet away.

"...That was an awesome battle," Hilda smiled, holding her hand out. Leaf looked surprised at her hand, then at the girl's face. "I know we were fighting before, but I started thinking about it during the battle and realized how stupid I was acting. Besides, that's not how Ash would act."

"...Yeah..." Leaf smiled weakly, giving a nod. She held her hand, shaking Hilda's. "...Thanks for the great battle."

"Anytime, we'll definitely have a rematch someday," Hilda told her, pulling her hand back. The crowd erupted into applause again, both trainers waving to the crowd as a final tribute to the battle. Minutes passed as the crowd finally died down, beginning to leave the area. Hilda walked over to her friends standing by the bleachers, greeted by congratulatory words. Leaf watched with a weak smile, then walked towards the entrance. Moving around the corner, she felt tears beginning to form again. She wiped a few away, then suddenly dashed away from the area and towards the trees. Passing the statue, Ash remained leaning against the far side of the statue's base as he saw the brunette run past him. Looking back towards the area they had battled in, he stood, walking in the direction where the girl had ran.

* * *

><p>"You were amazing out there, Hilda! That was the best, except for Ash's battles, of course!" Max exclaimed, the brunette smiling nervously with a sweat-drop.<p>

"Thank you...? Sounds more like an insult, though," she replied, the others in the group laughing.

"So you get to battle Ash in the finals, huh? Are you sure you're ready to go through losing again?" Hilbert asked, smirking with arms crossed behind his head. The brunette glared at him, crossing her arms.

"Yes, of course I am. But this time I'm gonna beat him! No way am I losing like last time!" she exclaimed, smiling confidently with a fist at her chest.

"That confidence is what made her lose the last time..." Zo whispered to Hilbert, who nodded in agreement as the two laughed quietly.

"What are you laughing at?" she looked towards them, her look effectively silencing them.

"Did Leaf already leave?" May asked, looking around curiously for the other brunette.

"Yeah, I saw her go when Hilda came over here," Dawn stated, the pair frowning as they looked towards the entrance. Hilda looked around the area, confused as only one other thought besides winning was in her head.

"...Where's Ash?"

* * *

><p>The raven-haired trainer moved through the trees, stepping into the campsite. Looking around, he saw no brunette and moved further through the trees. He found the clearing from the day earlier, where the two girls had almost hit him with brute force. The trainer shuddered at the thought of their rage, moving further. He found the Victory Road entrance, but was confused as he still couldn't find the brunette. He crossed his arms, pondering at where the girl had gone. "...Of course..." he reached into his pocket and pulled a pokeball, tossing it and releasing a large orange-winged lizard.<p>

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Paul asked, looking nervously around as he walked beside Brendan.<p>

"I'm sure Dawn and May are still with the others at the arena, so we should have at least a few minutes of free safety," the Hoenn trainer replied, frowning. "I'm sure they haven't even noticed we left...We're such side-characters..."

"What are you mumbling about?" Paul looked at the trainer with a sweat-drop. Brendan shook his head, Paul giving a sigh as he continued to follow him into the center. "...I've been here a lot, why couldn't you just tell me we were going here?"

"It's cooler if it's a mystery."

"We're not in a suspense novel, you idiot," Paul smacked the back of his head, giving a sigh.

"Fine...We're going to ask Nurse Joy a favor," Brendan told him, rubbing the back of his head.

"Is that all? Nothing weird about that, I guess," Paul shrugged.

"So what's this favor?" both trainers cringed, turning around and finding Nurse Joy in the doorway behind them. "I heard you mention my name and a favor."

"Ah...Yes, if it's not too much trouble," Brendan told her, the woman closing her eyes to think. She moved past them, the pair following her to the counter.

"I guess the competition is dying down so it gets boring around here, I guess I can help, depending on what it is," she told them, moving around and taking her place behind the counter. The pair looked at each other.

"...It involves Ash."

"I've given him so much advice, what does he need now?"

"We know he won't admit to needing it, so we came to ask ourselves. It involves his girl problems."

"Oooh, anything for young love! What do you need?"

* * *

><p>"Something's happening," Hilbert said, a strange feeling in his mind.<p>

"What?" Hilda asked, looking oddly at him.

"I got it, too," Zo added, Hilda giving a sigh.

"What is wrong with you two...?" she muttered, shaking her head. Zo and Hilbert looked at each other with a smirk, giving a nod.

"...Never mind, I guess it was just a chill."

"Yeah, what he said."

* * *

><p>"Down there, Charizard," Ash pointed to the trees below, the lizard descending and landing safely. Ash hopped off, thanking the fire-type before returning it to its pokeball. He moved through the trees, seeing a shining blue surface a short distance ahead. He moved through the last bush, smiling as he saw the large and beautiful lake. He took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of natural harmony. He looked around, quickly finding what he was looking for. Sitting by the side of the lake, a short distance away, a brunette held her arms beneath her thighs as she rested her chin on her knees. He frowned, noticing a wet substance running down her cheeks and hitting the ground beside her. He quietly moved towards her, being careful not to disturb her.<p>

"...I lost...I lost to her..." Ash stopped, starting to feel slightly sad as his childhood friend talked to herself. She moved her head down, burying her face in her knees. "...How...How could...I lose...?" she asked, speaking between sobs. Ash slowly moved towards her again, carefully sitting himself beside her without her noticing. "...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry, Ash..." the trainer frowned again, looking genuinally concerned for his friend. Hesitating, he reached an arm around the brunette, holding it in the air. He closed his eyes, feeling his skin touch hers as he pulled her closer, resting her head against the front of his shoulder. She opened her eyes, looking up confused. Surprised, she saw Ash holding her close with his eyes closed. "..A...Ash...?"

"You don't have to be sorry, Leaf..." he said quietly, the brunette sniffling again. Recalling her words, she closed her eyes and rested against him.

"But...I lost...I could have battled you in the finals...Like we promised..." she whispered, a tear going down her cheek. "...But now...Now we can't...I broke our promise, and we can't battle..."

"...I don't care about that anymore," she opened her eyes in surprise, looking at the calm trainer. "...We promised when we were kids, Leaf. Kids make lots of promises they can't keep."

"...But...Ash..." the trainer put his finger against her lips, cutting her short. He opened his eyes, looking down at her with a gentle smile.

"...The promise didn't matter...It was the fact that we would always meet again..." the brunette stared at him in surprise, unable to form words. "...And I'm the one who should be sorry."

"...Why...?" was all she could reply with, unable to speak.

"You think you let me down today, in that battle..." the brunette frowned, looking down at the grass. "...But I'm the one who let you down."

"What?" she looked at him in shock again, wiping away a tear. "No way! How could you let me down when you're stronger than me?"

"...That's not important right now. What's I care about is that you're okay," Ash told her, the brunette slightly blushing as she smiled.

"...Yeah, I'm fine now," she looked at him with a beaming expression, the trainer giving a smile again. He moved to stand up, but the brunette held him down. "Wait!"

"What is it?" he asked, looking confused at the brunette. She blushed more, looking at the grass beside her.

"...There's no reason we can't have a little time alone..." she said quietly in a shy tone, the trainer looking at her in surprise. He smiled, sitting back down and holding her closely as they looked at the shining lake together.

* * *

><p>"Okay, tell me what that was about," Paul said, looking at Brendan as they passed through the doorway again.<p>

"...A while back, I made a promise to Leaf to help with her and Ash. But we've been getting into different troubles with the girls lately, so it slipped my mind until now," Brendan scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"And it just came back to you now, for no reason at all?" Paul asked, the Hoenn trainer giving a shrug. Paul sighed. "...You're such an idiot."

"Yeah, shut up, I'm helping with a cause to relieve the drama around here," Brendan told him, moving away from the Sinnoh trainer. He watched him walk away silently, giving another sigh.

"What kind of people raised that guy...?" he asked himself, beginning to turn away. Stopping, he looked back oddly as he saw Brendan walking back towards him. Slightly rushed. "What? Forget something?"

"Turn around and keep walking, do _not_ look behind me," Paul watched oddly at he moved past him into the center, looking back where he came from. Feeling his body tense up, he noticed a familiar brunette and blunette in the distance.

"Right behind you," Paul hurried inside, the doors closing behind him. Across the plaza, the blunette and brunette looked towards the center's entrance.

"...Did you get that feeling?"

"Yeah..."

* * *

><p>"So...What do we do now?" Zo asked, lying in her tent with her head poking out, resting on her crossed arms.<p>

"We've got two days until the battle, so...We can sit and wait, I guess," Hilbert replied, lying on the grass with his arms crossed behind his head. They both sat in silence for a few minutes, each ocassionally glancing around.

"...Dammit, this is boring!"

"...Crap, you're right!"

"Wann go find Ash? Annoy him or something?"

"Sure, where is he?"

"... ..."

"...You're useless."

* * *

><p>"I'll have them feeling refreshed and healthy by later tonight, you can count on me," the pink-haired nurse smiled, taking the tray of pokeballs.<p>

"Thanks, Nurse Joy. You don't have to rush, I don't _need_ them until two days from now," Hilda told her, smiling.

"Speaking of which, you're facing Ash in the finals, right?" the girl nodded. "How are you feeling on that?"

"Pumped and excited. After the last time he beat me, I'll show him how humiliating it is to lose!" she said confidently, the nurse sweat-dropping with a nervous smile.

"I was thinking more like...How are you feeling on facing _him_?" the nurse asked, the brunette looking confused.

"I said I was excited to beat him, do you not believe me?" she asked, the nurse shaking her head.

"No, I believe you. I was just thinking...He's a good friend of yours, and you are the closest friend he's had for years," the nurse told her, the brunette listening to her carefully. "...You're one of the only three friends he's talked to in five years."

"...Yeah..." Hilda replied, feeling nervous at the nurse's description of the situation.

"All I'm saying is you two are very close friends. Are you not afraid or nervous about facing him? He is an extremely powerful trainer, after all," Hilda looked at the floor tiles, rubbing her arm uncomfortably.

"...Well...I guess a little..."

"I've had the honor of treating his pokemon in this tournament, and believe me, you will have to be fully prepared and ready for this battle," she looked at the nurse, who's expression turned serious. "His pokemon are very powerful and well-treated, each and every species of pokemon he's brought in. I'm sure he has plenty more, but from what I've seen, his pokemon are dangerous to mess with."

"Yeah, I've watched him train every now and then over the years. I know every pokemon he has," Hilda said proudly, smiling.

"Then you must take careful consideration for this battle. If you know all of his pokemon, think of a strategy against each of them, because I doubt he will tell his team to anyone," the brunette nodded, the nurse smiling. "That gives you a slight advantage for preparations before the match. Unless he knows all of your pokemon, that is."

"He knows most of them, but I do have a few I've been keeping secret. I've been training them specifically for my rematch with Ash, and I plan on catching him off-guard," the nurse smiled, giving a nod.

"I wish you the best of luck," Hilda smiled, walking towards the exit. She stopped, however, as she looked oddly at the hallway leading to the mall. She walked down the hall, turning the corner and moving down the stairs. On the second flight of steps, however, she stopped as she saw Brendan and Paul sitting on the steps, drinking soda.

"...What the heck are you two doing?"

* * *

><p>"Would he be...At the center?"<p>

"No, he hasn't battled recently."

"Would he be...Still at the battle arenas?"

"No, he would have left by now."

"And you're calling me useless? You're not helping at all here! At least I'm coming up with suggestions!"

"Shut up, just keep thinking."

"'Cause I'm doing all the thinking here...Wait, didn't he leave the arena before leaf did?"

"Yeah, why d- _Oh_, I get you now."

"Alright, guess we're looking for Leaf too."

"Where do we start looking for her?"

"Where we start for Ash, you idiot! Now _think_!"

* * *

><p>"Are you done panicking yet?" Hilda asked, sweat-dropping with a light sigh as she sat on the step. Paul remained frozen, his heart beating rapidly as he stared at her in shock and fear.<p>

"Can you refrain from doing that..._Ever_ again?" he asked, the brunette rolling her eyes and resting her chin against her fist.

"Fine, I don't see why you're so jumpy, though," she replied, looking oddly at the Sinnoh trainer.

"Well we have a _better_ reason now!" she looked at Brendan, who was walking up the steps from a flight below.

"How can you be so surprised, you_ fall_ down a flight of stairs?" Hilda asked, giggling to herself as the Hoenn trainer grumbled to himself, sitting again.

"To answer, we're still hiding from May and Dawn," he told her, the brunette laughing harder.

"Oh...Oh, wow! You're still hiding from them about the lake thing?" she laughed, holding her side.

"Yeah, you don't know what it's like from our perspective," Brendan told her, Paul giving a nod.

"Aah...They're over that. They don't care anymore," Paul and Brendan's eyes widened, looking surprised at her. "You never heard? Yeah, they gave up right before the battle because they said they wanted to focus on 'Leafy's' battle," Hilda air-quoted the 'Leafy' part, confusing the pair. "I don't know, it must be some weird nickname they made up."

"Seems like them...But seriously, they're done with it?" Paul asked, the brunette giving a nod. "...I'll _kill_ you!"_  
><em>

"W-What!" Brendan coughed, surprised as he felt Paul's fist connect with his stomach. He groaned, falling to the side and hitting the next step down. Then the next step. Then the next. And the next.

"Now he's falling down the stairs again? ...Men are such idiots..."

* * *

><p>"...You remember how you said Hilda was only a friend to you?" Leaf asked, looking up at Ash.<p>

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked, looking down at her.

"You meant that, right? You don't _like_ like her or anything?" the brunette asked, Ash feeling his cheeks begin to heat up.

"No, of course not. Besides, she's too stubborn to deal with as she is now," he told her, the brunette giggling to herself.

"...Okay, I'm glad to hear it," she smiled, looking at the water's shine.

"Why did you bring that up? Are you actually interested in this whole 'girl trouble' thing, too?" he asked, the brunette shaking her head.

"I just want to hear that you don't have feelings for the other girls," Ash frowned, giving a quiet sigh.

"Kind of selfish, don't you think?"

"Nope."

"You know, I'm not admitting to liking you either."

"I know. But you'll say it soon enough."

"Why are you so confident about this?"

"Because I know you love me. It's hard not to."

"...You really are a different kind of girl..."

* * *

><p>"And now we know he's not at the Victory Road," Zo stated, kicking the rocky wall beside the sign.<p>

"Calm down, he could be inside," Hilbert told her, the girl giving him a strange look.

"And why the _heck_ would he go in there?" she asked, the trainer giving a shrug.

"I dunno, just thinking out loud, I guess," he replied, giving a sigh. "...He could be down at the lake..."

"You really are stupid, you know that?" Zo crossed her arms, the trainer sulking at her words. They both looked at each other. "Let's check the lake."

"Can you change into a flying-type and fly me down there? My legs hurt."

"You know, that isn't a bad idea...But you're not riding on my back."

* * *

><p>"You haven't taken your pokemon to Nurse Joy, have you?" Ash asked.<p>

"...No..." Leaf grumbled, staring at the water. "...I guess I should get them feeling better..."

"Come on, let's go," Ash stood up, the brunette falling onto the grass where he sat. "Come on, get up."

"But we were so comfy..." she muttered, frowning as she stood beside him.

"Stop being lazy, your pokemon need to get proper rest," the raven-haired trainer told her, the brunette nodding with a frown.

"...Can we at least do this again after...?" she asked hopefully, poking her index fingers together.

"...Maybe," Ash replied, moving towards the trees. She smiled, pumping a fist before following him. He sighed quietly, thinking of various scenarios that could extend from what they were doing. None were too pleasant in his eyes. After a few minutes of moving through the trees, they heard rustling from nearby. Ash stopped, Leaf stopping beside him with a confused look. Ash looked to the side, moving quietly and peering through the bushes.

"Stupid Zo...Leaving me..." the man grumbled, kicking the grass as he walked through the natural area. Ash stepped through, startling him. "Jeez, Ash! You're a frickin' ninja or something!"

"I've been told that, what are you doing here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I came looking for you, actually. I was actually looking with Zo, but she changed into a flying-type and left me," he frowned, crossing his arms behind his head. "She's a real traitor. How do you put up with her?"

"I don't, really. I just let her run around the tournament, but I make sure to give her a threat that will keep her in line," Ash told him, the man giving a nod. Leaf moved out from behind Ash, surprised to see Hilbert. "We were just heading back to get her pokemon healed."

"Ah, I guess I'll come back with you, then. By the way...What were you doing alone before now?" Hilbert smirked, starting back the way he came. Ash pulled a pokeball, pressing the button and releasing his powerful orange lizard.

"Charizard, we have a pest problem again."

* * *

><p>"Now...A little here...And there...And to finish..." Nurse Joy happily hummed to herself, writing carefully on a sheet of paper. She looked over her creation, smiling to herself.<p>

"Whatcha doing, Nurse Joy?" the pink-haired woman jumped, throwing the paper under the counter. She smiled, looking at Max who came alone.

"Oh, nothing. Just...On my break," she replied, the young boy crossing his arms.

"You had a piece of paper and looked pretty happy. What was that about?" he asked, the nurse beginning to feel nervous.

"Ah...That...Nothing to worry about, just a few doodles, is all," she told the boy, who adjusted his glasses.

"A grown woman doesn't _doodle. _What was it, really?" he asked again, the nurse giving a sigh of defeat.

"...Will you keep it to yourself if I tell you?" she asked, the young trainer giving a nod. She leaned over the counter and whispered into the boy's ear, his expression slowly turning to surprise. "Remember to keep quiet."

"I'm surprised about that, but I did say I would, so I will," he told her, adjusting his glasses again. he headed towards the hallway leading to the rooms, shaking his head. "...What is this world coming to...?"

**END**

**Not much of an ending, but I'm kind of pressed for time at the moment. R&R, like, hate, whatever helps you sleep at night.**

**What did Nurse Joy agree to doing for helping Brendan?  
>Will Max keep quiet?<br>What is Hilda doing with Brendan and Paul?**

**Announcement: As you know, I have a few stories pending right now. The Liberated Champions series will be continued, as with the two story descriptions I have on my profile. But for now, I plan on completing Champions Revived Glory first. Writing too many at once I think my mind will mash the different plotlines together and create a mess or complications with chapters, so I will keep them time-separated starting with CRG. Thanks for your time.**


	49. Chapter 49

**We're back, and this message will serve as an advertisement for digital pictures. Go buy the movie "Hunger Games" on DVD now, I recommend it with all of my cold heart. Yeah, I'm a bad kind of guy in real life, but I know the good movies. Seriously, buy it.**

**Also, been helping Darkjumper out again with some battle requests, I can honestly use that as an excuse for lateness in upcoming chapters. I apologize, but go check out his stories while waiting on me. I'd say they're definitely worth it.**

"Stupid jerk..." Hilbert muttered, reaching his arm through the bush and grabbing the dirt.

"I know," Ash smirked, looking down satisfied at the charred man dragging himself through the bush. "And stop saying it like a child, you've got vocabulary so you should use it."

"Unlike some people who don't care about the wellbeing of others, I keep my vocabulary at a max to prevent problems with the children. You never know who could be reading," Hilbert told him, Ash giving a strange look.

"What?"

"I said you never know who could be listening."

"I thought I just heard you say - Eh, whatever..."

"Are you two done fighting? My pokemon still need healing," Leaf told them, huffing with her hands on her hips.

"You can easily go without me, it's not like you need us," Ash told her, crossing his arms. "And wasn't it you ten minutes ago asking me to stay by the lake, ignoring your pokemon's health?"

"Hurry up or I'm leaving without you!"

"I got things to do anyway, so whatever."

* * *

><p>""Are you sure we should do this?" Paul asked, looking nervously at the Hoenn trainer.<p>

"Not really, but I still can't shake the feeling that she was lying," Brendan whispered, concentrating on the door in front of them. "...If I die here today, tel my family I love them."

"Shut up and knock," Paul urged, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looking down the hall. "I got places to be."

"You have nothing to do here, you're out of the competition," Brendan reminded him, the Sinnoh trainer starting to feel angry. "...Uh...You knock. To be safe."

"Safe for _you_! No way am I knocking, this was your idea!" Paul replied harshly, Brendan frowning with a sigh.

"Okay, okay...At least stand in front of me?" Paul looked at the Hoenn trainer with an 'are-you-serious?' look, the trainer givinga nervous chuckle.

"You won't let me leave until we finish this, will you?" Brendan shook his head, Paul giving a sigh. "Fine, just get this over with," Brendan smiled, moving behind him and knocking on the door.

"Thanks, tough guy," Brendan told him, Paul giving an odd look.

"When do you call me 'tough guy'? And it's not like I want to do this, it's because you're an idiot who needs someone to protect him," Paul told him, looking at the door. But he was replied by silence. "...Hey, idiot, you gonna-" he turned around, but the Hoenn trainer had disappeared. "...Answer...You backstabbing...cowardly...dastardly..."

"Hello?" he looked back at the door, freezing at the sight of Dawn looking curiously at him. Her eyes lit up, beaming as she recognized him. "Oh, Paul! You're just the guy I wanted to see!" he gulped, feeling dread overcome his nerves as he was dragged by the collar into the room and hearing the door close behind him, along with a metallic _click_.

"Bastaaaaaarrdd!"

* * *

><p>"This is M-rated! First warning!" Max shouted, blinking in confusion as he looked around.<p>

"What was that about?" Brock asked, him and Cilan walking towards the boy.

"...I don't know..." the boy said, giving a nervous look as he looked around.

"It's like...I was forced to say it..."

"Maybe it's because you don't have a big enough part?" Cilan asked, the pair looking oddly at him. "...It was just a suggestion."

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it, he just left me. Alone. Can you believe that?" Leaf asked, walking with her arms crossed.<p>

"You're not alone, I'm still here," Hilbert frowned, shaking his head slightly.

"But you're only conveniently going to the center too, Ash chose to leave. He _chose_ to leave me alone, I can't believe it, he's not supposed to leave a girl alone. What if I get eaten by a bear or something?"

"What's a bear?"

"When I find him again, I'll make him regret it...He'll want to stay by my side every day, and never leave me again. Maybe I can ask Nurse Joy to set us up..."

"This is Ash we're talking about, remember? He can see through anything, you're not going to trap him easily without professional help."

"What do you think I should do, use my mob connections to stage a kidnapping and have him save me? That's stupid, Hilbert."

"You thought of it. I'm just saying, he's smart and you can't get him without a good plan."

"...Hey...You've known him for the past few years, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"So you're sort of the closest guy to him, right? You know each other's weaknesses?"

"Yeah, he knows I'm afraid of Charizard and I kn- _Ooooh_..."

"What are you talking about?" the pair jumped, looking alarmed at the Hoenn trainer standing in the doorway leading down the hall. "Relax, it's Brendan. You know, awesome guy?"

"What are you doing there?" Hilbert asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

"I was running...Down the hall...Then I came back, thought of going back down and checking if anything was...Out of the ordinary..." Brendan said nervously, Hilbert and Leaf looking oddly at each other. "...But I think it's safe. So I'm gonna...Go...Before something bad happens...Particularly down this hall..."

"Okay...You're creeping me out," Hilbert stated, turning the other way and walking towards the pink-haired nurse. "Sorry to bother you, Nurse Joy, but can you look at these burns?"

"Oh my, the burns came back? And so quickly? When you said it was a minor health condition, I didn't think you meant they came back this often," the nurse told him, looking concerned at the man's charred arm.

"Yeah, well...They sneak up on me, too..." he chuckled nervously, looking at the ground beside him and muttering something under his breath.

"Health condition? What are you talking about? I just saw Ch-" Leaf felt her voice cut out, surprised as the man's hand covered her mouth.

"Still in a blind rage from her fight from Hilda, these girls sure talk crazy," Hilbert laughed, turning the brunette around. "You should go rest your pretty little head in the campsite."

"I still have my pokemon, you know," Leaf said muffled, the man remembering her purpose for coming and letting her go. He gave her a stern look as she moved past him, giving him an odd look as she placed her pokeballs on the counter. "Can you get these guys feeling better?"

"I sure can, then I will get the cream for your burns," she looked at Hilbert, who smiled admiringly.

"Thanks," the pair replied, the brunette disappearing out the doorway and the man leaning on the counter. Brendan stood still, blinking.

"...Did you _already_ forget about me!"

"Oh, Brendan, hey. How long have you been there?" Hilbert asked, the Hoenn trainer giving a sigh. "Oh, that reminds me. Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Brendan replied, Hilbert giving a smirk.

"What are you planning for Ash?" Brendan cringed, surprised.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't play stupid, trust me, I know that game. I got that feeling a while ago that something was going to happen to Ash, and I could tell it involved you," Hilbert explained, the Hoenn trainer looking amazed.

"H...How did you figure that out?" he asked, the Unova trainer giving a shrug.

"Also, you asked Nurse Joy to help," he pointed a thumb back at the pink-haired woman working with the machine, looking back at him in surprise. "I know, it's a useful and amazing ability. I love myself for it."

"So what do you want to know about it? It's just a little plan I thought of, it's no big deal," Brendan shrugged, Hilbert smirking again.

"I just thought there was a chance it could use a little..._Push_."

* * *

><p>"I'm the main character, but at least I get some time alone..." Ash muttered, smiling as he leaned against his familiar tree in the campsite. Getting a strange look, he looked into the sky, then frowned. "Dammit! Come on!"<p>

"Ash?" looking over, he was surprised to see Hilda.

"Oh...Hey..." he greeted, feeling slightly nervous as she moved into the campsite. She silently sat down by her tent, holding her arms together under her thighs and resting her chin on her knees. "...You did good today."

"Really?" she asked quietly, looking at him. He nodded, the brunette looking at the grass in front of her. "I don't think so...I wasn't thinking straight..."

"But you were," she looked at him again, confused. "Your pokemon moved perfectly with each of your commands, attacking and dodging effectively each time. Even if you weren't thinking straight, the training you've given your pokemon definitely paid off in the end," he explained, the brunette staring at him in surprise.

"...You think so...?" she asked quietly, the trainer giving a nod as she looked back at the grass. She smiled, feeling heat rise to her cheeks. "...Thanks..."

"But don't think that's going to help you later," Ash told her, smirking as he crossed his arms behind his head and leaning back on the tree. "When we're on the battlefield two days from now, I won't be holding back. I won't expect you to either."

"Of course not!" she replied, Ash giving her an amused look. She looked away, embarrassed. "I...I mean there's no way I would go easy on you, you're a powerful trainer and I need all my strength."

"That's good to hear, I guess I should start training my team...Or picking them, for that matter," he chuckled, looking at the backpack sitting a few feet from him.

"...Can I ask you something...? Feel free to say no..." Hilda said quietly, the raven-haired trainer giving her an odd look.

"Sure, what is it?" he asked, looking at the girl concentrated on the grass. She brought her legs down to the side, rubbing her arm.

"...Can...Can we go for a walk...?" she asked shyly. Ash stared at her in mild surprise, blinking out of his trance and smiling.

"...Come on," she looked curiously at him, surprised to see him standing and holding his hand out to her with a smile. "I've got two days off now, I guess I should enjoy it."

"...Thanks..." she smiled, hesitating as she held out her hand. Her hand grasped his, helping her to her feet as she stood beside him.

"Let's go to the lake, it's peaceful," he smiled, stepping away from her and letting his hand slip from hers. She reached out for his hand but stopped herself, looking down at her hand with a frown. Shaking her head, she hurried after the trainer.

* * *

><p>"I told you, you're not a character of any kind. Just a person," Brock sighed, rubbing the arch between his eyes.<p>

"But what if I am? What if we're all just characters in a story made up by some depressed, nerdy guy!" Max panicked, looking worried as he dropped to his knees and looked into the sky. "Please, sir! Spare us!"

"Max, it's okay, I was just kidding," Cilan told him, patting the boy's back.

"Please don't hurt me...I'm innocent...It's Ash you should punish!" the two men sighed as the boy continued rambling to the sky, but something caught their attention not too far away.

"Hey...Is that Ash?" Brock asked, pointing to the raven-haired trainer a distance away. Following him closely was a brunette.

"And Hilda...What are they doing?" Cilan asked, looking curiously as the pair disappeared through the trees.

"That way leads to the entrance to Victory Road," Brock stated, the connoisseur giving a nod.

"This gives the flavor of a mystery soup...But it won't taste good if a certain someone finds the recipe."

* * *

><p>"I'm so bored..." Leaf muttered, frowning as she slouched her back while walking. She looked around, seeing darkness all around her. "...Where am I, anyway?"<p>

"You're in the nether region," surprised, she looked to her side and saw Zo walking towards her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, looking oddly at the girl.

"The nether region. It's the space beyond the barriers of the story's setting," Zo told her, but the brunette stared at her in confusion. "Come here, I'll show you."

"Beyond the barriers? Story setting? Zo, I think you might have hit yourself on the head," Leaf told her, the pair walking back the way she came. Moments passed silently as they seemingly walked nowhere, until the world suddenly stretched around them, returning them to the forest. "Whoa! ...How...?"

"I told you, it's beyond the story's setting. That usually happens because of two reasons. One, the world doesn't exist beyond the area, or two, a certain _someone_ is too lazy to create and describe more than one place," Zo put her hands on her hips, glaring into the sky. Leaf looked oddly at her.

"Who are you looking at?"

"I dunno. Come on, let's go find something to do."

"Wait, shouldn't we tell someone about this? Are we the only ones who know?"

"I guess for now."

"What do you mean? Hey, don't leave!"

* * *

><p>"You know, for wanting to go on this walk, you're awfully quiet," Ash stated, looking back over his shoulder at Hilda. She remained quiet, looking at the ground and holding her arm. "I think this is the longest I haven't heard a word from you," he chuckled, knowing it would set her off. Surprisingly, she remained silent. He stopped, turning around to face her. "Okay, the Hilda I know would blow up at that remark. What's wrong?"<p>

"Nothing..." she said quietly, moving past him. He reached out and grabbed her arm, looking concerned.

"Hilda, you know I'm your friend. If something's bothering you, I can try to help," he told her, the brunette looking slightly sad. "Are you sad about something? Is it our battle?"

"No, I'm more excited than ever for that," he smiled slightly, the brunette unable to resist smiling as well. "I've just been thinking about some things. Like after this tournament."

"After?" Ash asked, the girl giving a nod. He let go of her arm, the pair continuing towards their destination.

"After we're done this competition, we won't all be able to stay together. You, me, Hilbert...Everyone..." she trailed off, frowning as she looked at the grass again. "...Leaf..."

"...I guess I haven't thought about that yet..." Ash frowned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "...Brock and Cilan will probably head back to their gyms...Max and Iris will be travelling more, same with Dawn and May..." he listed, looking at the sky above them. "...Brendan and Paul will probably go home, too...I guess Hilbert will settle here in Unova again...That just leaves you and Leaf."

"Yeah..." Hilda muttered to herself, biting her lip.

"If Hilbert's going to stay in Unova, he'sprobably going to want you to stay with him," Hilda looked curiously at the trainer, who smirked. "He can't defend himself alone, he's going to need someone to keep him safe."

"...I guess..." she laughed softly, the trainer smiling as her mood lifted.

"...And Leaf...She might go home to Kanto again, or keep travelling in another region...I never know what goes through her mind..." he sighed quietly, the brunette giggling to herself.

"...So what are you going to do, Ash?" she asked, the trainer frowning. "...Your mom's going to want to see you again...And you've travelled every region, are you going to go back and start again?" Hilda asked, the raven-haired trainer running a hand through his hair.

"...I honestly don't know, really..." he replied plainly, the brunette giving him a funny look. "...I could go home, but my mom will kill me for not talking to her in five years...If I travel again, I could definitely win each league..."

"And maybe some of your friends want to travel with you again," Hilda added, giving a smile.

"Yeah, I guess that's true...If Leaf finds where I'm going, she'll follow me forever..." he sighed, frowning at the thought.

"...Oh...I guess she would..." Hilda said quietly, rubbing her arm again. She looked ahead, noticing a shining surface. "Hey, there's the lake," the pair stepped through the bushes, entering the clearing with the glistening water. Ash smiled, seeing the lake.

"...It gets me every time..." he chuckled, stretching his arms in the air.

"...I guess we haven't had much time together, with the tournament and everyone else," Hilda said, surprising Ash.

"...I guess not, Leaf or Zo is usually following me..." Ash scratched the back of his head, thinking back. "...I guess we should make the best of this, they might never leave me alone."

"I could understand that, you're a great guy," Hilda giggled, sitting on the grass and stretching her legs.

"And what makes me so great?" Ash asked with an arched eyebrow, amused as he sat beside her.

"You're a strong trainer, smart, you can take care of annoying people like Hilbert, you're caring, and you always think of your friends ahead of yourself," Hilda explained, the trainer surprised at her words.

"You really thought this out, that almost sounded rehearsed," he chuckled, the brunette smiling at him.

"Well, it's all true. You're a really good friend of mine, so I'm always thinking about you," she said happily, the raven-haired boy cringed. He turned away, feeling heat rise to his cheeks.

"...That's nice of you to say, but I'm not really all that," he told her.

"But you are. You're mature, you can beat a trainer in minutes, and you're always caring for your friends. Even if it puts you in trouble, you'll take care of them first," she told him, smiling. Ash looked out at the lake, thinking about what the brunette had just said while she looked at him with a smile.

"Okay, I'll admit to most of that, but I'm no superhero or anything," Ash stated, the girl giggling. "And of course I care for my friends, they're my whole life. Except my pokemon, of course."

"Yeah..." she looked at the grass, frowning as a thought came to her mind. "...You really love Leaf, don't you?"

"W-What?" surprised at her words, he looked at the brunette in shock. She looked at him with a frown. "...Uh...I wouldn't say I _love_ her...But I definitely care for her as a friend..."

"But you like her more than friendship," she told him, the trainer looking oddly at her. "I've watched you two around this tournament, you're always laughing and smiling together. Anyone could see that you two are a perfect pair," she looked at the grass again, pulling out a few blades. "She really likes you, and you're attracted to her..."

"Yes, everyone knows she likes me, that's a given. But..." he trailed off, rubbing the side of his neck. "...I don't know if I'm attracted to her...It's been years since we've seen each other before this tournament, and she's definitely matured...A lot..." his face heated up, thinking back to a specific incident at the lake. Hilda looked confused. "...But I don't know if I can say I'm honestly returning her feelings...There's quite a few girls in my life, including you, and loving one would make it awkward with the others..."

"But you do love her, I know it," she told him, leaning towards him and looking him in the eye. "Girls have always been better than guys with emotions, and I'm certainly included. I can tell by the way you look at her you love her personality, her laugh, you love everything about her," Hilda told him, feeling a tear form in her eye.

"...Hilda..." the brunette pulled herself back, turning away and rubbing the tear from her eye. Ash stared at her in surprise, frowning.

"...You both really love each other...You're the perfect pair...So why don't you just ask her out already? It's not like she'll say no, it's a guaranteed yes..." she wiped away another tear, the trainer continuing to stare at her.

"...I can't."

"Why not? Were you not listening to a word I just said?" Hilda asked, but Ash nodded.

"If I get closer to her, then I get further from Dawn, May and Iris. And you," Hilda blushed, looking away. "Iris may not like me romantically, but I can tell May and Dawn do. And on the day you and Leaf started fighting at that dinner, Red told me something interesting."

"What did he say?" she asked.

"He said _'When you fight with words, your heart tends to let go of excess emotions you have and it becomes formed in your words.'_ I had to think about it, but I know what it really means," the brunette's face heated up more, turning away again in embarrassement. "...Was he right, Hilda? I want to hear it from you."

"..." she remained quiet, focusing on the grass beside of her. The trainer looked at her expectantly, frowning as he gave a quiet sigh.

"...So this is why you're so upset..." he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "...Hilda, look. We're really good friends, you and Hilbert are the only ones I've spoken to in five years, but I can see when my friends are in pain. Especially when it's in their heart."

"...You say that now..." she muttered under her breath, her face color returning to normal. She looked back at him with a serious expression. "If you can see pain in my heart, how come you couldn't see it before? In the past five years, how come you've never asked me about this?"

"Hilda, w-"

"No, I don't want a stupid excuse. I want to know why, in the five years we've known each other and became close friends, that you never asked me about how I felt. You always accused me and Hilbert of liking each other, but why did you think I liked him?" the brunette asked, Ash frowning as her emotions began to control her.

"Hilda, don't let your emotions speak for you. Just stay calm and ke-"

"This isn't my emotions, this is me! I'm speaking for myself!" she snapped, the Pallet trainer watching her with a concerned expression. "You, me and Hilbert were friends for years. We've hurt each other, helped each other, we all met for a reason! You hurt Hilbert to keep him in line, but what about me? Why did we meet? Are we here today just to help keep Hilbert from inevitably getting himself killed? Is that it?"

"Please, I want to help, bu-"

"And what about this tournament? Ever since May and Dawn have become obsessed with you, you've been acting different! You're so nice and gentle to them, as if you like them more than friends! You were attracted to them the second you met, and they've been fawning over you ever since! For Arceus' sake, they talk about you in their _sleep_!" Hilda rambled, Ash's expression remaining the same.

"Look, I'm sorry fo - Wait, in their sleep? Seriously?"

"And then there's Leaf..." Hilda's fists clenched, resting on her legs. "...You met her and changed even more...You started laughing, and smiling...I've never seen you smile until this tournament..."

"...Hil-"

"You really love her...You're always around her, you always have such a good time...Even if something doesn't involve you, you'll defend her..." Hilda said, her tone sounding sad. "...You've never done any of that for me...Not once in five years..."

"...I never thought...You..." Ash didn't know what to say, the brunette was breaking down in front of him and he couldn't say a word. "...I'm sorry..."

"...What makes her better than me?" she looked Ash in the eye again, tears beginning to form. "Why do you think of her more than me? What does she have that I don't? Tell me, Ash! Tell me what's wrong with me!"

"There's nothing wrong with you," he said sternly, the brunette giving a quiet gasp. He put his hand on her shoulder with a serious look. "There is not _one_ thing wrong with you, and don't ever think that. You're a funny, happy, energetic, and strong young woman and I would never change a thing about you."

"...W...What...?" she whimpered, sniffling as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"...You're perfect the way you are. Nothing in the world could ever replace the Hilda I know," he told her, pulling her into an embrace. She was shocked, speechless at the boy's words. Slowly, tears rolled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly and crying into his shoulder. Ash smiled weakly as the girl let her emotions out, feeling something forming in his eye as well. He quickly wiped it away.

"A...Ash...Thank y-you..." she sobbed into his shoulder, the trainer closing his eyes.

"It's okay...I'm so sorry I hurt you..." he whispered. "...I promise, I'll always be here for you...Always..." he whispered soothingly, the brunette nodding into his vest. She pulled her head away from him, surprising the trainer as she pushed her lips against his. He remained in shock for a few seconds, then slowly closed his eyes as he held the girl closer. Minutes passed before the pair parted, panting lightly as they looked at each other. "...You didn't have to do that..."

"Yes...Yes I did..." she said between pants, blushing as she held a fist to her chest and looked away.

"Were you forced to or something?" he asked, the brunette frowning.

"No, I chose to do it...Because I wanted to..." she told him, the trainer giving her a confused look. "A few minutes ago, you were talking about knowing how I felt...You said you did..."

"What? I think that...Kiss...Messed with my head..." he brought a hand to the side of his head, feeling slightly dizzy. The brunette puffed out her cheeks. "Why did you say you did that again...?"

"Because I love you, idiot!"

**END**

**Oh, bam. Now Hilda loves him too, I'm just too cruel to this guy. Anyway, stay tuned. See ya soon.**

**How will Ash respond? Zo and Hilbert?  
>What will happen to Max for getting a <strong>_**little**__**too**_** open-minded?  
>Just what is Brendan's plan with Nurse Joy?<br>Did Paul survive Dawn after being dragged in?**


	50. Chapter 50

**I apologize for the long break, I meant to get on this chapter earlier than this, but I haven't been feeling the best lately. I was in bed about four or five days last week, and I'm still trying to shake off the sick feelings.**

**Anyway, on a new note...Welcome to chapter 50 of CRG! Didn't expect it to go this far, I admit I might have drawn this out a little longer than necessary, but cool! I own a story over fifty chapters! I hope it's okay!**

"Are you sure?" Brendan asked, looking surprised at the two men.

"Positive, we saw them going towards Victory Road about twenty minutes ago," Brock told him, crossing his arms. "What do you think it was about?"

"I dunno, but I can say I've never seen something like this before," Hilbert told them, crossing his arms behind his head with a puzzled look. "Those two have never been alone together 'cause I've been around, and even when I'm not there they still have their pokemon out," Hilbert explained, frowning.

"So no ideas? At all?" Cilan asked, looking oddly at the young man. He nodded.

"It could be about their battle, maybe they're training together or something?" Brendan suggested, but Hilbert shook his head.

"No, I get a different feeling from this. It doesn't involve battles or pokemon, it's something else..." he trailed off, looking at the clouds in the sky. "...We'll have to wait and see..."

* * *

><p>"So what do you want to do?" Leaf asked, giving a sigh lying on her back with her arms and legs stretched out.<p>

"For the tenth time, I don't know," Zo sighed, her position the same as the brunette's. They both frowned, continuning to stare into the sky. "...Hey...Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Like, as a girl?"

"Uh...Sure...?"

"...What are your real feelings for Ash?"

"W-What?" Leaf nearly choked, sitting up quickly as her face brightened. "W-Where did that come from?"

"Don't think of me as annoying for prying into your emotions, but I just want to know. I'm a good friend of Ash's, and I don't want to see him getting into the wrong situation with a girl," Zo smiled, laughing to herself. "Believe it or not, I really want him to be happy with a girl."

"...Are you feeling okay?" Leaf giggled, Zo giving her a serious look. "Okay, sorry."

"I know it's weird coming from me, but that's the truth. If he gets with the wrong girl then gets his heart broken, _I'm_ the one who has to deal with it the most besides Pikachu, and it sucks when he's depressed," Zo frowned, sitting up.

"What's he like when he's depressed?" the brunette asked.

"You don't want to know," Zo waved her wrist, dismissing the topic. "So what's your story? How do you feel and why?"

"...Well..."

* * *

><p>"Should we tell the other girls about this, then?" Cilan asked, the four men walking down the stairway.<p>

"No, no, definitely no," Hilbert and Brendan quickly replied, shaking their heads. "Trust me, you never want to tell the girls about this. They'll flip."

"Yeah, Dawn and May are like fangirls when it comes to him. And Leaf's feelings are pure, it would break her heart," Brock told them.

"But we don't even know if this is anything solid, how do we know it isn't just a little talk or a walk with a friend?" Brendan asked, Hilbert giving a sigh.

"I told you, I can tell it's nothing like that. It's something serious," he told them, taking the final steps off the stairway and seeing the large mall in front of them.

"So where are you guys going?" Brock asked, looking at the others.

"I dunno, I just followed you guys. Guess I'll just wander," Brendan shrugged, starting down the path.

"Sounds like a good plan," Cilan remarked, following the Hoenn trainer.

"Where you off to?" Hilbert asked, looking at the taller man.

"I heard there was a discount on cookware, so I figured I'd just at the chance," he responded, starting down the path towards the specific store in-mind. Hilbert shrugged, taking the opposite path and looking at each store. Clothing, toys, electronic devices, you name it there was a store for it.

"This is so going to be worth the money..." Hilbert smiled to himself, hitting the power button and gently pressing the earbuds into his ears. The small screen flashed on, but nothing happened. "What? I thought these things came with music already on them! Misleading advertisements..." he muttered angrily, frowning as he stuffed it in his pocket. Looking around some more, he saw the jewellery store and began to walk faster. Abruptly stopping, something caught his eye. Stopping, he stared in the store for a few silent moments, then walked in.

* * *

><p>Ash stared at the brunette in silence, unable to find his voice. After the girl's words, his nerves froze and his body couldn't move. His thoughts were blocked out, nothing inside his head but the words repeating like a broken record. The brunette was almost the same, refusing to speak another word as she stared at the ground beside her, cheeks burning red.<p>

"...H...Hilda..." he managed to choke out, but nothing followed. The girl frowned.

"Don't act so surprised..." she said quietly, rubbing her arm. "...You're just that kind of guy. You do things without realizing it and make girls fall for you, being the hero, always nice to everyone and caring about them..."

"...Hilda...Are you sure this is how you feel?" he finally asked, the brunette closing her eyes. She looked back at him, a gentle smile spreading across her face.

"...Yes...I really love you..." she whispered, her expression more gentle than Ash had seen before. Nearly mesmerized by her, he shook his head and looked away, a blush on his face.

"...I'm sorry...I don't really know what to make of this..." he told her, the brunette leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder. "...Uh...Hilda?"

"Please...I need this..." she whispered, the trainer cringed. He gulped quietly, remaining silent. "...I know this makes things awkward, but don't forget this..."

"...Like, this moment? Sitting here?" Ash asked, looking down oddly at the brunette.

"No, our whole time here together. Everything we've said here," she added, slowly wrapping her arms around his. "...It's everything I have of us..."

"We've been friends for years, Hilda," he told her, her grip tightening on his arm.

"I meant us together..._Just_ us," she frowned, the trainer's chest hurting slightly. "I know your heart is with someone else, and I can't do anything to stop that. But remember I'll always have feelings for you...That will never change..."

"Always?" Ash asked quietly, frowning. Suddenly, he clutched his head with his free hand, wincing from a sudden pain.

_"I'll never give up on you, silly."_

His eyes snapped open, recalling that familiar phrase from somewhere. Then it hit him. Leaf.

"I know Leaf loves you...And you love her..." she said quietly with a frown. "...Seeing you two...It had me thinking recently, and I realized...I'm the odd girl out."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Leaf and May love you, Dawn likes you but I think she's beginning to look at Paul more, that just leaves me. You and Zo keep saying I like Hilbert before I even realized I liked you, so I don't know what to think!" she closed her eyes, giving a quiet sigh. surprisingly, she felt Ash's arm move from her grip and around her shoulder.

"So what?" confused, the brunette looked up at him. "So we say you like Hilbert, so you really love me instead, so every girl has a seemingly-perfect pair, so _what_? You shouldn't care," he told her, frowning. "Sometimes you have to blank your mind and make a single decision, then see where it takes you. Don't worry about individual problems, make one decision to answer for each problem."

"...Ash..." she stared at him, breaking into a warm smile. "...I guess you're right...Like always..."

"If it helps you, then I'm glad I am right," Ash smiled, rubbing her arm as the pair looked out at the shining water.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it...I actually did it..." Hilbert muttered to himself, looking down at the object in his hand. Shaking his head with a sigh, he slipped it in his pocket. "...But why...?"<p>

"Hey, Hilbert!" he looked over, seeing Brendan moving towards him. "Been feeling kinda crazy, talking to myself since I lost Cilan somewhere."

"Cool...?" he said hesitantly, looking away nervously. Brendan looked oddly at the jewellery store, then back to him.

"...What are you standing here for?" he asked, looking oddly back at the store.

"Just taking a break, come on," Hilbert moved away from the store, the Hoenn trainer continuing to look at the store as he walked backwards. Startled, he bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry, I wasn't-"

"_You!_"

"Wha- Oh, no."

* * *

><p>"You've been sitting here silent for five minutes, you know," Zo told the girl, giving her a suspicious look.<p>

"I know, I'm thinking," the brunette told her, giving a quiet sigh.

"You have to think this much about why you like Ash? Wow, maybe you're not as in love as I thought," Zo yawned, lying down on her back again.

"No, that's not it!" Leaf quickly replied, waving her arms. Zo looked at her oddly, the brunette feeling a blush rise to her cheeks. "Well...I'm definitely in love with him, but..."

"But...?" Zo inquired, feeling impatient with the brunette.

"...I'm just kind of...Afraid...That he doesn't love me back anymore..." she said shyly, tracing her finger on the grass. Zo sighed, sitting up.

"You're a confusing girl, you know that? It's such a pain," Zo told her, shaking her head. "Look, I'll be honest. I'm not exactly the most mature person, I can tell, but ever since Ash took me into the family, my feelings for him grew."

"_You_ have feeling for him, too?" Leaf gasped, her eyes widening. Zo sighed, closing her eyes.

"Not romantic, don't worry. I could never get romance through that thick-headed jerk," she giggled, looking into the growing-cloudy sky. "...It's not quite a mothering feeling, but it's like a protective sister. I love him as family, that's for sure, and I want to help him stay on the right track through his life," she looked at the brunette, smiling. "That includes finding the right girl."

"...Zo..." Leaf was at a loss for words, unable to resist smiling with the girl.

"But the stuff that happened between you two at the lake, keep that to when you're alone in a room, okay?"

"What are y- Gah! Zo, how do you know about that!"

"'Cause I'm awesome."

* * *

><p>"Leave him alone for two seconds and he's gone...You can't take your eyes off anyone around here..." Hilbert muttered, looking around for the Hoenn trainer. Confused, he saw him a short distance away. Held against the wall.<p>

"W-Wait a minute! I-I have a good explanation for this!" he panicked, afraid of the trainer pinning him.

"No way, I'm not listening to your crap!" the trainer snapped, shaking his collar.

"Hey, hey, ease up on the guy," Hilbert told them, pulling his arm down and releasing the trainer. "What the heck are you doing, Paul? And what happened to your forehead?"

"_This_ little traitor..." Paul glared at the trainer, who smiled and laughed nervously. "Left me alone at the door, and Troublesome came out and kidnapped me," he winced, moving his hand to the red and swollen skin above his eyebrow.

"Brendan, why- Wait, _kidnapped_?" Hilbert asked, unable to resist smiling.

"Shut up, it's not funny! Do you know how much energy that girl has?" the Sinnoh trainer asked, the other two shrugging. "A lot! And apparently she has more than I initially thought, she just demonstrated that!"

"What do you mean, _demonstrated_?" Hilbert asked, Paul turning away with his eyes closed.

"Don't push it," he replied coldly, Brendan looking suspiciously at him.

"Oh, it's a miracle!" he gasped, smiling. Holding out his finger, he poked the trainer's warm cheek. "Look! The cold-hearted Paul is _blushing_!"

"I said leave it!" Paul snapped, grabbing the trainer's collar again. He whimpered, becoming panicked again.

"Drop him, we're talking this out," Hilbert sighed, pulling the Sinnoh-native's arm again and releasing the panicky trainer. "But really, could it have been that bad? I know Dawn is annoying and all, but what could she do to make _you,_ of all people, _blush_?" he asked, Paul looking away.

"Forget it, I'll get you later," he responded, walking away from the two. Brendan and Hilbert looked at each other with a shrug, confused.

"Maybe it was that 'demonstration' of hers."

* * *

><p>"Um...Ash?" Hilda asked hesitantly, the trainer staring at the water trying to comprehend everything happening to him.<p>

"Yeah," he replied subconsciously.

"I was thinking...You have enough trouble with Leaf, May and Dawn liking you, right?" she asked, looking at the grass in front of her.

"Yeah."

"So this would be a trouble to you, right?"

"Yeah."

"So...Should we keep this between us?"

"Yeah."

"I know if the others found out about this, the girls would be angry at me. And the guys would be angry at you too for getting another girl to like you. You're just really popular, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I like how you're so honest with me now," she smiled, closing her eyes as she rested on his shoulder. He blinked, looking around confused. His eyes resting on her, he remembered particular things recently happened.

"Uh...Hilda? Don't you...You know...Want to go soon?" he asked, the brunette looking up at him.

"I'm fine with this, but if it's a problem to you..." she hesitantly sat up, parting from him and standing.

"Thanks. It's not a problem in the slightest, it's just...The others are gonna be wondering where we both are, and if anyone found us like this..." he trailed off, images of the angry women flooding his mind as he stood.

"Yeah, I know. Like you just said," she smiled, starting for the trees. He watched her disappear through the bushes, looking confused.

"I did?"

* * *

><p>"I hate that guy...Such a coward..." Paul muttered angrily, kicking the stone wall beside him. Grunting, he regretted it afterwards. "...He had to leave me there...With <em>her<em> especially..."

* * *

><p>"Dawn, I'm back," May called, opening the door and stepping in. Confused, she saw the blunette lying on her stomach on the far bed, waving her legs in the air happily over the edge as she read a magazine. A wave of concern washed over her. "Oh, no, what did you do now?"<p>

"What do you mean?" the blue-haired girl asked, beaming.

"When you're this happy, you've done something to make others _not_ happy. What did you do?" she asked, sitting on the bed across from her. She didn't respond, continuing to happily read her magazine. "Dawn, I'll take away your makeup if you don't tell me."

"Okay, get this," the brunette sighed, watching her immediately sit up and face her, setting the paper aside. "Alright, you know that competition I had with Paul?"

"Oh, this should be good..." May rolled her eyes, getting a bad feeling as she pulled a soda bottle from her bag beside the bed.

"And you know how he says he hates me, and that he said he never want to be around me?" she continued, the brunette looking puzzled.

"...I don't think I remember that...But I get where he's coming from, go on," she inquired, nodding as she popped the cap from her bottle.

"I think I just changed that _completely_," she beamed, May giving a sigh.

"What did you do to the poor guy?"

"It started when I found him at the door a little while ago. Weird, right?"

"This can't end well..."

* * *

><p><em><span>Flashback<span>_

_"Bastaaaaaarrdd!" Paul shouted, feeling himself dragged in the room. Hearing a metallic click, he immediately felt fear spread through his mind. Feeling another gentle push, he fell onto the bed._

_"Hey, Paul-y," Dawn smiled with a seductive tone, walking towards the trainer._

_"Oh, Arceus, leave me be," Paul panicked, quickly backing up on the bed. "Stay, sit. Whatever it takes to keep you away."_

_"Awww, why do you have to be like that?" she poked out her lower lip, frowning. The Sinnoh trainer frowned, then shook his head. "Come on, we never have any time alone."_

_"There's a good reason for that," he replied, slowly moving across the side of the bed._

_"Why? I just want to talk, it's fun talking with you," she smiled, confusing the trainer._

_"Wait, how is that fun?" he asked cautiously, sliding off the bed and standing across from her._

_"Because you always have a unique way of looking at things. Everyone looks at the good points of something, but you look at the bad points and that makes me think more about it," she told him, smiling. He watched her cautiously._

_"Okay...You're welcome, I guess...Everyone knows you can always use time to think...A _lot_ of time..." he slowly walked to the side, keeping a short distance between them._

_"What's wrong? You seem nervous?" she asked, looking concerned as she moved towards him. Panicking, he quickly moved past her and stood a few feet from the door. He eyes it intently for a few moments, facing her again._

_"No, I'm not...It's just...I've got things to do, specifically taunting Ash about various things..." he glanced briefly back at the door, slowly turning around and moving towards it. "So, I'll be going now..." he reached his hand for the doorknob, smiling as he turned it. He was seconds from freedom!_

_"Paul, wait," he flinched, his muscles contracting. He looked at his hand oddly as he froze from her voice, not recalling ever hearing that tone before. He gave a quiet sigh under his breath, turning to face her. _

_"What is-" shocked, he saw her move swiftly towards him, pinning her palms against the wall behind him on both sides of his chest. For the first time, Paul hated himself for - he hated to admit it - ...his emotions._

_"You don't hate me, do you?" she asked alluringly, smiling warmly._

_"W-Wha-" he was cut short, the blunette placing her finger on his lips._

_"I know you don't hate me," she told him, poking two fingers on his chest and slowly moving them up. "You enjoy talking to me...Seeing me...Being around me..."_

_"W-What are you t-trying to pull here?" he asked nervously, feeling sweat run down the back of his neck._

_"...I know how you really feel..." both her arms suddenly wrapping around his neck. She moved her head closer to his, her lips dangerously close to his ear as his face began to burn. "...You love me..."_

_"_What!_"_ _his eyes widened, his hands moving to her shoulders. He pushed her back, surprising the girl. His face continued to burn, looking away in shame, resisting looking into her enticing puzzled eyes. "...D-Don't get the wrong idea..."_

_"But I know it's the truth," he gulped quietly, cautiously looking back to her shimmering eyes. He felt sweat go down his neck again. "You say you hate me, but you talk with me more than anyone else. You say you never want me around, but you're entertained when I'm around."_

_"Because of your stupidity," he replied, the blunette continuing to smile._

_"But you still have a good time, don't you?" she asked sweetly, moving her arms around his neck again. "Paul-y, I have fun when I'm with you. Others think of you as a jerk, but I'm the only one who has been able to see your nice side. You say you hate me, and I say I hate you, but we both know we just say that to keep the others from the truth."_

_"W-What are you getting at...?" he asked, feeling nervous again as she moved closer to him. She pressed her chest against his, the trainer looking at the roof to resist temptation or losing control of himself._

_"You say you hate me, but you really love me...I say I hate you..." she moved closer to him again, the trainer feeling the back of his head hit the wall. She continued until their lips were inches apart, feeling each other's breath. "...But I really love you."_

_"W...n...I...b..." for the first time, the Sinnoh trainer was unable to find his voice. Forced into a corner by a girl, unable to speak, Paul could not explain how pathetic he felt. Glancing at the wall beside him, he looked down at her shining eyes. He felt his face burn again, his heartbeat increasing as sweat ran down the back of his neck, her lips teasing him from mere inches away._

_"...We both know it's the truth..." she whispered tauntingly, biting her lip gently with a smile. He resisted the urge to push her away, or - Damn him for thinking it - pulling her closer, so he was forced to one option. Unable to save himself from the situation, he must bring himself to his knees._

_"_Murder!_" he shouted, surprising the blunette as he turned his head, thrusting it into the wall. He immediately grew dizzy, his eyes closing as he fell into subconsciousness._

_"Paul!" she gasped, feeling the trainer's weight intensify on her. She fell to the ground, the trainer landing on top of her._

* * *

><p>"W-What!" May nearly choked, swallowing the drink and coughing into her arm. The blunette smiled, the brunette not looking so happy. "What do you mean, <em>fainted from the sight of you<em>?"

"He clearly couldn't stand being so close to me, but knowing he couldn't have me, so he fainted," she said happily, the brunette looking like she had just seen a seviper and zangoose hugging each other.

"Are you _serious_? He knocked his head off the _wall_! He didn't faint from you, he knocked _himself_ out!" she told the blue-haired girl, but she continued to smile.

"You're so funny when you can't accept the truth," May sighed, shaking her head.

"Okay, let me get this straight," she rubbed the arch between her eyes, looking back at her. "You brought him into this room, seduced him into the corner, then without realizing, forced him to a point where he couldn't stand being conscious?" she asked quizzically, the blunette nodding happily.

"It's nice when he shows his true colors to me only," she beamed, the brunette staring at her in shock.

"...You're a _psychopath_!"

"Why do you keep repeating yourself?"

"Because I'm amazed I've been stating the truth for all these years! You really are insane!"

"You're the insane one, dreaming about two guys."

"What? How does that even relate to this!"

"So you admit it happened?"

"...In spite of having only one truthful option, yes. But we're not talking about that right now!"

"Then what are we talking about? How you're jealous that I'm such an expert in flirting I can make a guy faint?" Dawn asked, batting her eyelashes.

"I'm a girl, don't even try. And if Paul hit his head, then-" May turned her head, frowning as she saw she was right. "Oh, come on! Now there's a big _dent_ in the wall!"

"What dent?" Dawn asked, looking around.

"Right, freakin', _there_!" May nearly shouted, pointing to the large round-shaped indent in the wall near the door. "The hotel's gonna charge us for that!"

"We'll blame Max."

"He can't even reach that high!"

"We'll leave a step-ladder in the room."

"Where would you- Forget it, I'm not getting into that. How long was Paul knocked out?"

"I dunno, about ten minutes?"

"Really? Wow, that's actually pretty quick."

"I got some medicine, treated his head and wished him well on his way," Dawn smiled, the scene replaying in her head.

* * *

><p>"<em><span>Flashback of what really happened...<span>_

_"Ooow..." Paul muttered, slowly opening his eyes. He moved his hand to his forehead, wincing at the touch. "Ow! What the...?"_

_"Good morning, sleepyhead," his eyes snapped open in fear, seeing the blunette's smiling face above his. Hovering inches above him, the blunette rubbed his forehead with a bag of ice. He flinched, looking around and realizing his head was resting on her legs. His face began to burn again. "Sorry, we can't let this get any worse. Sit still."_

_"...Why...?" she looked at him curiously, confused. "...Why are you helping me...?"_

_"Silly, I love you, remember?" she said sweetly, the trainer slowly closing his eyes._

_"...Love..." he muttered to himself, their time alone playing in his head. His eyes snapped open again. "You love me!" he lurched up from her lap, surprising the blunette as he flipped off the bed and crashed onto the ground. He ignored the pain, jumping to his feet and backing away from the girl._

_"What's wrong, Paul?" she asked, a cute confused expression on her face as she stood up. She moved towards him, but he continued back towards the door._

_"Stay away, please," he said cautiously, feeling for the doorknob. Finally finding it, he turned it and opened the door. He looked at the bag of ice in her hand, slowly reaching for it. She looked down at it, smiling as she held it to him. He cautiously took it, snapping back and moving through the door. "...Okay...I guess...Thanks for taking care of me while I was out...And for the ice..." he slowly closed the door._

_"Be careful, 'kay?" she asked sweetly, smiling and waving to him. He nodded, gulping nervously as he closed the door. He stared at the floor blankly. "He'll be admitting it soon enough..." Dawn said cheerfully, smiling satisfyingly as she sat on the bed again. Surprised, she heard a loud _thump_ from the hallway._

_"Gaaah! Dammit!"_

* * *

><p>May watched as the blunette laughed to herself, a suspicious smile on her face. "...Why do I get the feeling you're lying...?"<p>

* * *

><p>"Thanks again for that, I needed to get some of the stress off," Hilda smiled, Ash giving a nod.<p>

"Yeah, no problem," he told her, frowning as he looked at the ground. "...Kinda pushed the stress onto me, but whatever..." he muttered to himself, giving a sigh.

"I gotta go find someone for a sec, so see you later?" she asked, the trainer giving a nod. She smiled, hurrying off on her own. The trainer felt a blush rise to his face, giving a sigh as he shook his head.

"I never should have left home..." he muttered, memories of his isolated island flooding his mind. Just him and his pokemon, a feeling of paradise. Unaware of his actions, he walked into the center's lobby.

"Oh, Mr. Ketchum!" he was snapped from his thought as he saw the pink-haired nurse a few feet away. He looked back oddly at the door, then at the ground. "Something wrong?"

"No, just...Weird things happening today..." he shook his head, leaning against the counter. "Okay, you've got to have a video game behind the counter or something. What do you do to keep entertained?"

"Promise not to tell?" the trainer nodded, finally about to learn the woman's secret. "...You're in here a lot more than you think."

"That doesn't help," he sighed.

"Besides, I had Brendan come in with that request for me, then Max found out and promised not to tell-" she gasped, closing her mouth and looking away. The trainer's ears perked, looking at her curiously.

"Request from Brendan? And why wouldn't you want Max to know?" he asked curiously, the woman unsure of how to respond. He was the last person she could tell, but would he continue asking without end if she didn't?

"Hey, Nurse Joy?" the pair looked back at the doorway, seeing May dragging Dawn in. "Can you get an x-ray on her brain? I know she's crazy and all, but this time she's really lost it."

"But I don't specialize in human anatomy," she told the younger women, the brunette giving a sigh.

"Can you at least try?" she asked hopefully, noticing the man beside the counter. "Oh, hey Ash. You can tell what goes on in people's heads, right?"

"...Normally, yes..."

"Can you see what's going on in here?" she asked him, tapping on the blunette's head.

"Hey, stop it! I told you, I'm not crazy! It's just the truth!" she stammered, intruiging the trainer.

"No it's not, you're finally beginning to realize you're not a star," she told her, Ash looking curiously at the blunette.

"What does she continue to say? She mentioned a truth," he stated, continuing to look at her.

"She's going on about how it's the truth that Paul loves her, but she's just _delusional_," she shook Dawn's arm, Ash looking surprised.

"Loves her?" he repeated, the brunette giving a nod. "...Well, it would explain a few things..."

"What, you're in on this too?" she asked, looking disappoitedly at Ash. he shrugged.

"Hey, what's going on in here?" everyone watched Hilbert and Brendan appear from down the hall, the man holding his arms crossed behind his head. "You'll never believe what I just broke up from this guy."

"Was Paul angry at him? And did he happen to be nervous or embarrassed?" Ash asked, Hilbert looking strangely at him.

"Okay, that's creepy. Yeah, he was holding him up against the wall, then Brendan asked something and he blushed. Paul _blushed_, I know, it's messed up," he told them, the brunette gasping.

"What did Brendan ask?" Ash inquired.

"Paul said something about Dawn having too much energy, and some kind of 'demonstration'?" Hilbert said, uncertain to his memories from their encounter. The brunette gasped again, looking angrily at her friend as Ash looked at her with a clam and curious look.

"So you _were_ lying! Tell the truth, what did you do to him!" she shook the girl's arm more, demanding the truth.

"Ow! Stop, I told you everything!" Dawn complained, sounding as if she was drugged.

"Liar!" May recoiled, continuing to shake the girl.

"May, stop for a second. Dawn, what physical things did you do together?" Brendan chuckled, the on-cloud-nine blunette smiling with a blush on her face.

"We were against the bed and the wall. Oh, it was painful on the floor, too."

...

... ...

... ... ...

"_WHAT?"_

"You're kidding, right? Paul would never," Ash told her, his eyes still wide as was everyone's. Hilbert and Brendan's jaws dropped, the nurse moving her hands to her cheeks to hide her burning cheeks. The blunette hicupped, giggling to herself.

"...Our time alone together was so much fun..." everyone's eyes widened more.

"Wait, before you start getting ideas, it's not how she makes it seem," May interrupted, her expression returning to normal. "Trust me, she told me what happened and that is _not_-"

"Excuse me, I'm gonna go find Paul again," Brendan sprinted down the hallway, disappearing quickly down into the mall in search of the Sinnoh trainer.

"...Don't blame me, I can't stay out of this," Hilbert disappeared quickly after the Hoenn trainer. Ash, Nurse Joy and May remained in silence, the blunette continuing to laugh to herself.

"...It's not how you're thinking, Ash. She was only seducing him for their stupid competition, that's all," May told him, the trainer blinking surprised.

"You're positive on this?"

"Yes. Dawn may be crazy, but she would never go that far."

"...Okay...I'm just gonna go...Somewhere, for a while..." the raven-haired trainer left, leaving the three women alone in the lobby.

"...I've got a brain-scan machine for pokemon in the back room, but it should work for humans. Bring her into the back, please?"

* * *

><p>"For the last time, Ash did not tell me," Zo sighed.<p>

"Are you _sure_?" Leaf asked, looking suspiciously at the girl.

"I spent the last ten minutes telling you that. Do you think I'm lying?" Zo asked, arching an eyebrow to the brunette.

"...Okay, I'll let you go," Zo rolled her eyes, sighing in relief as she rested her head against the grass again.

"Now that that's over, tell me your heart on Ash."

"Oh, I guess I never did say, huh? I guess...Well, obviously started when we were kids, but-"

"Hey, Zo!" the two nearly jumped, surprised to see Hilda pushing through the bushes with a beaming smile on her face. Surprised, she saw Leaf. "L-Leaf! Hey!"

"Hey, Hilda, where have you been? Haven't seen you since the match ended," the brunette stated, Hilda smiling nervously.

"Oh, you know, hanging around. It's so easy to lose someone in this place, am I right?" she laughed, the brunette giving a nod.

"Yeah, you're right on that. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen Ash either-"

"You know him, he's always following someone when he's got secrets on them. It's what makes him Ash."

"I guess, but it sounds more like a Hilbert thing...Are you alright, Hilda?"

"Never better! Sorry to interrupt your talk, but can I borrow Zo for a minute?"

"Um...Sure, go right ahead."

"Great, thanks! Come on, Zo!"

"Since when am I something to toss around? And this doesn't get you out of your explanation, I want it when I come back," Zo gave Leaf a serious look as she stood up, disappearing with Hilda through the trees. Leaf sighed.

"Hey, thanks for this," Hilda whispered, pulling her through the trees.

"I can walk myself, you know. And no problem, apparently since I'm something that belongs to you at different points in the day," she sighed, crossing her arms. "What do you want? I was about to get something good out of her."

"It can save for later, but this I have to talk to you about," Zo looked oddly at the brunette, who began beaming.

"...The Leaf thing, no. This, yes," Zo told her, the brunette shaking her head.

"I was honest with myself, for the first time in years since we've met," she smiled, the female pokemon nodding.

"Good, good for you. It's about time, too. So how did Hilbert respond? I know he loves you too, but did he kiss you or what?" she asked, the brunette giving a confused look.

"What? No, I meant with Ash," Zo looked at her oddly, then a thought came to her mind. Her eyes, her smile, her tone, and no one could find her or Ash for a while.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding..."

**END**

**Don't you hate it when you tell your friends about having a fun time with a girl, but you make it sound like you did something sexual? I had to do it to Dawn here, 'cause Paul is fun to pick on and it's happened to me before. I know I'm a cold-hearted bastard and all, but if I can get a girlfriend in real life (recently, but still surprising), Paul should get one in this story. Again, sorry for the late update and I'll do my best to get on the next chap quicker than this was. Happy Thanksgiving!**

**What will happen with Paul?  
>What is Zo going to tell Hilda?<br>What will Leaf say to Zo?  
>What else did Hilbert buy in the mall?<strong>


	51. Chapter 51

**You guys must really hate me by now, but blame the school boards. They give so much damn work, I can't get any time for video games or anything! It was like, what, Thanksgiving I put up the last chapter? I meant to do it about two weeks after, but no, all four of my teachers decide to throw a huge project at me on the same day. It sucks so much. Anyway, I'll stop boring you now, commence chapter.**

"Arceus, nothing's interesting around here..." Paul muttered, shaking his head as he looked around the stores. From one boring store to another, he moved down the path in search for something to catch his attention. As he passed the jewellery store, a voice called out to him.

"Oh, Mr. Paul!" he looked over, confused to see a girl about his age hurrying towards him out of the store. She wore a store-brand white top with the logo on her right shoulder, with black jeans. Her blonde hair was pulled into a small ponytail in the back.

"Uh...Yes?" he asked, trying to think if he knew her before.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but you're friends with that Hilbert fellow, right?" she asked, the Sinnoh trainer noticing she had a slight southern accent.

"I wouldn't exactly say friends, but I know him. Do you have a message for him?" he asked the girl, she shook her head.

"He left this in the store when he was buying his gift," she told him, showing the trainer a small amount of coins. He nodded, accepting the coins in his hand. His expression suddenly turning bewildered, he looked up at the store sign.

"Wait, he was in the jewellery store? Buying something?" he inquired, unable to imagine the familiar man buying acessories.

"Yes, he said he had to get a gift for a friend of his. From the way he said it, it sounded like there's a girl in his life," she stated, Paul arching an eyebrow.

"You have no idea," he chuckled, stuffing the coins in his pocket. "I'll get the coins to him, don't worry."

"Thank you kindly, I wouldn't want him to go losing an amount like that," she smiled, Paul getting a strange feeling from seeing the girl's smile. He turned away, feeling his cheeks begin to warm slightly. Glancing down at his pocket, he wondered what exactly she meant by 'that amount'. Come to think of it, he hadn't thought about what coins they were.

"Oh, by the way," Paul looked back at the girl, the girl still smiling. "...ah..."

"Is something the matter?" she looked worried, looking at him closer. He moved back, rubbing the back of his neck.

"...Ah...Nothing, never mind," he told her, the girl looking confused.

"Okay, then. Thank you again for getting Hilbert's stuff back to him, I appreciate it," she smiled again, Paul feeling the strange sensation again. "Well, my shift isn't done yet. I've got to get back to work," she waved, walking back into the store. Paul bit his lip, closing his eyes with a sigh. He was going to regret this.

"...Um...Hey," the girl stopped, looking back at him curiously. He rubbed his neck nervously, managing to look back at the girl. "...If you don't have to work much longer, would you...maybe...want to get a coffee or something?" he asked, surprising the girl.

"...Um...I'm sorry, Paul, but my shift goes until 8, and I'll be really tired after that," she said with a frown, the Sinnoh trainer giving a nod.

"It's alright, sorry I asked," he began to turn away, a frown on his face as he felt another strange sensation in his body.

"But, my shift tomorrow is only an hour. We can go then, if you still want," she told him, moving her arms behind her back. Subconsciously, she began twiddling her thumbs. Paul stared at her, surprised.

"...uh...Sure, that's good with me," he told her, feeling nervous. She giggled, smiling.

"Great. I'll be off around 2, so meet me at the cafe, 'kay?" she told him, the trainer giving a nod. She winked, walking back into the store and behind the counter. A few customers looking at the display cases, she moved towards them and began friendly speaking with them. Paul stared at her, then blinked.

"...Why did I do that...?"

* * *

><p>"Alright, start from the beginning," Zo sighed, sitting in a chair in the center lobby.<p>

"Well, starting a while after the match," Hilda sat across from her, smiling to herself. "I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk, he said yes, we-"

"Not every little detail, just the juicy stuff I'm interested in," Zo crossed her arms, leaning forward on the table. "You kissed him, didn't you?"

"W-What?" Hilda's face brightened, surprised at the girl's sudden accusation.

"I knew it," she sighed, leaning back into the chair. "Look, Hilda, I know you're a human girl and all, you can't just ignore your emotions. I'm only trying to tell you...Some things are just stronger than others, you know what I'm getting at?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I know, Leaf and Ash love each other," Hilda nodded, frowning as she crossed her arms. "But I couldn't help it. We've been friends for five years now, and I've only ever thought of him as a friend. But since this competition started and the three girls that love him, I guess it made me realize I needed to be true about myself."

"...I never thought I would be having this conversation with you, Hilda..." Zo smiled at the brunette. "I'll be honest with you, and I'm sorry to say this, but you may have a smaller chance at Ash than Leaf."

"I know that, it's obvious she has an advantage over me," Hilda smiled, laughing to herself. "But that doesn't mean I'll give up. Ash still isn't saying who he loves, so I've still got a chance. I just have to...Pick up the pace."

"Hilda, you've been hiding these feelings for years...I know Leaf might seem threatening to you, regarding Ash, but...are you sure you actually want to do this?" Zo asked, the brunette giving her a confused look. "I'm friends with both you and Ash, and I can clearly see that you both are very close friends. You, me and Hilbert have been the only ones near him for years. But if this doesn't go well...Your feelings are never going to disappear."

"I know that. Where are you going with this, Zo?" she asked, tilting her head. Zo sighed, crossing her arms behind her head as she leaned back, looking up at the ceiling.

"Your feelings will never disappear, and if Ash does choose Leaf, you will become depressed every time you see them and feel sorry for yourself. As well as that, it will make things between you two awkward and uncomfortable. As a close friend of both of you...I don't want to see either of you get hurt. Not to mention Hilbert."

"What does he have to do with it?" Hilda asked.

"...Me and Ash haven't been lying all these years, Hilda," Zo told her, closing her eyes and frowning as she pictured the cheerful and energetic man. "His feelings are true and pure. We may have made a few perverted jokes about him, but those are nothing more than jokes. I know this may seem happy to you and all with Ash, but imagine what it will do to him."

"But he's our friend, he would understand," Hilda told her, the pokemon girl giving a sigh.

"Will he really? Or do you just expect him to?" Zo stood up, pushing the chair back in behind her as she took a step away. She stopped, turning back to the girl. "Before you go making rash decisions, always be careful of the emotions of others around you. You could be making your life better, but also bringing others to their knees," Zo continued out the doors, leaving Hilda with a confused and worried expression.

* * *

><p>"That guy can't hide forever..." Brendan muttered, looking carefully at each other that passed him as he walked. Earning strange looks, he continued searching. Nearby, his companion shivered.<p>

"Ah, what the...Did you just get a chill?" Hilbert asked, rubbing his arms. Brendan shook his head, Hilbert giving a sigh. "Must be imagining it."

"Come on, let's check the food courts again," Brendan told him, walking away from him.

"You just want to get a burger and fries again."

"Just a coincidence of searching the food court."

* * *

><p>"How long are they going to be gone...?" Leaf muttered, tapping her fingers on the grass. "Well, I guess I'm out of the question now."<p>

"Never would've imagined it..." Leaf's attention perked, confused as she heard the familiar voice. "Can't believe the guy did it..." Ash shook his head as he stepped into the campsite, sitting against his tree and leaning against it. Surprisingly, he was oblivious to the brunette's presence. She looked at him curiously, wondering how he didn't notice her. She puffed her cheeks, quietly moving towards him until she was right beside him. "...Gotta feel proud of him, though...Surprised he did it, even before me..." she looked at him curiously as he spoke to himself. Smiling, she sat gently beside him and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, anyone here?" Leaf frowned, watching the second male figure step through the bushes. Ash opened his eyes, looking at him.

"Hey Paul," he greeted plainly, then he remembered what he had recently learned. "Oh, am I glad to see you right now. I just heard about it, congrats, man."

"What are you talking about? Actually, it can wait. Can I talk to Leaf for a bit?" he asked, looking at the brunette leaning against the trainer.

"We're a little busy, thanks," she puffed her cheeks, glaring at the Sinnoh trainer.

"It's important, please," the pair from Kanto were beyond surprised to hear Paul - _Paul _of all people - pleading for help.

"I'm sure it is, but no way."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't trust her with you now."

"Why not? Why are you suddenly so protective, or even _aware_ of the women around you?"

"Since I heard about your little run-in with Dawn a while ago."

"What are you talking about?" Paul looked at him cautiously. "...Who did you hear this from?"

"It started when May brought Dawn into the center lobby, but she seemed like she was drugged or something. She said you two had a little _quality_ time," Ash explained, the Sinnoh trainer getting a bad feeling.

"What exactly did she tell you?" he asked.

"She was going on about how you two were so deep in love, then she went on about what you two did together," he smirked, holding his hand up to the staning man. "Way to go."

"Okay, you would never give a high-five to anyone. Whatever they said, it was clearly a lie if you're acting like this," Paul crossed his arms, frowning. "What exactly did she tell you?"

"Yeah, what did she say?" Leaf added, holding onto Ash's arm with a smile. He looked down, confused.

"Oh, hey Leaf. When did you get here?"

"Hello to you too, Mr. Daydreamer."

"Hey, back to the topic," Paul stated, feeling frustrated. "What did she say?"

"She said you two did some _very physical_ things together. On the bed, against the wall, painful on the floor. Her exact words," Ash's smirk grew, Paul thinking about his words. His face suddenly burned red, realizing what he meant.

"What the HELL!" he kicked the trainer in the gut, the raven-haired trainer grunting with a cough.

"What was that for? I'm just telling you what I heard, like you wanted!" Ash winced, holding his side.

"Do not believe a _word_ of that crap, that is a filthy damn lie," Paul said in a serious tone, glaring at the trainer. "Why would you even _think_ I would do something like that?"

"That was the only problem, I couldn't really see it happening. At the time, I thought it was good news coming from Dawn, but she did seem like she was drugged. Wait, did you-"

"No, dammit!" Paul shouted, Ash smirking again.

"You're sure defensive of it, so I guess it can't be real. Too bad this isn't a dream, would've been awesome," Ash chuckled to himself.

"Whatever, I just want to talk to Leaf about something. Is that too much to ask?" Paul sighed, Leaf looking at him curiously.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I need...Advice on women," he sighed, Ash's attention perking up again.

"What was that? Paul needs _advice_? And on _women_?" he taunted, Paul clenching his fists.

"Shut up, or I'll tell May and Dawn about what happened between you two at the lake," he replied, the Kanto pair's faces going red.

"H-How do you know a-about that!" Leaf clutched more on Ash's arm, the trainer glancing at her confused.

"If you don't want it out, then let me have one conversation. Just a few minutes, that's it," Paul told them, the pair looking at each other.

"I guess I could-"

"No way."

"What! But he knows about what happened!" Leaf looked shocked at the Kanto trainer, but his expression remained serious.

"I know, but I can't trust him with you right now. After hearing the rumor, I don't think you should be spending time alone with him," Ash told her, the brunette's eyes lighting up.

"You're worried about me?" she asked hopefully, beaming as she hugged the trainer tightly. "Oh, you're so romantic~!"

"Whatever, I'll just find someone else," Paul muttered, shaking his head as he walked out of the campsite.

"Do you think he'll tell anyone? About what happened?" Leaf asked worried, her cheeks warming up again.

"I don't know, but I should go follow him just in case," he sighed, hinting at the girl. With a frown, the brunette hesitantly moved so he could stand. "Pi," the mouse hurried out of the tent, climbing to his shoulder. "Sometimes I forget you're even here," the mouse frowned, punching above his trainer's ear.

"Just go make sure he doesn't say a word. And thank you for being concerned about me," Leaf told him, smiling.

"No problem, you're my friend," he smiled, then something dawned on him. "Oh no, he might go after May, Hilda or Zo! Let's hurry, Pi!" Leaf frowned, watching the trainer hurry out of site. She sighed, puffing her cheeks.

"I knew it was too good to be true..."

* * *

><p>"Man, this is getting bad..." Zo muttered, arms crossed as she stood in the open plaza. "...Leaf, May, and Dawn...Now Hilda...How am I supposed to help him through this...?" she asked herself, giving a sigh. Catching her eye, she noticed Paul emerging from the bushes and walking towards the hotel. "Where's he off to...?"<p>

* * *

><p>"Stupid Ash...Stupid Troublesome...Always causing trouble for me..." Paul muttered angrily, stepping into the hotel and walking through the lobby. He didn't notice the nurse was gone from her desk as he moved towards the hallway to the rooms. He stopped, something catching his ear.<p>

"Are you sure?"

"Unfortunately, yes. It shows one hundred percent normal."

"That can't be right."

"Nurse Joy...And...That's one of the other girls who like him..." Paul told him, looking at the twin doors behind the nurse's desk. He stepped towards them, looking curiously through the small windows. Confused, he saw the two women standing over a human figure he couldn't identify. He pushed through the doors, the two women turning to see him.

"Oh! Paul!" Nurse Joy exclaimed, her expression turning to surprise. Confused, he waved, watching the brunette suddenly move towards him. Surprised, she grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye with a serious look.

"What did you do to her? Tell me!" she demanded, the trainer still confused. Looking over her shoulder, he noticed the familiar annoying blunette lying on the stretcher. Suddenly it made sense.

"It's a _lie_. What you, Ash, and whoever else was there heard, she is clearly delusional and is making crap up," he told her honestly, the brunette still looking at him suspiciously. "I did not do _anything_. She dragged me in, made a fool of herself with words, but I knocked myself out before she did anything really weird."

"...I guess she did tell me about you knocking your head on the wall," May stated, releasing the man. "But she did lie to me, so I can't be sure on who to believe. What did she mean when she was talking about against the bed, the wall and on the floor?"

"Ugh, why do I have to go through this..." he muttered angrily, rubbing his forehead as the brunette tapped her toe inpatiently, arms crossed. "The bed was nothing, I got up before she did anything. I tried running, but she pushed me against the wall before I could get out, and the floor...I have no idea. If I had to guess, after I knocked myself out, I would assume my bodyweight knocked her over or something."

"...I guess it does make sense...And Dawn wouldn't go that far..." May told herself, watching him closely. "...I guess I'll believe you."

"Thank you," he sighed, frowning.

"But don't think I trust you completely. Dawn is my friend and if anything happens to her, I'll hold you responsible and you better be ready," she said in a serious tone, the trainer feeling nervous at her expression.

"Why am I being held responsible? I don't have anything to do with her," Paul defended himself, the brunette crossing her arms tighter. Paul looked at the floor beside him.

"That's not true. Whether you see it or not, it may not be love, but she definitely has some kind of feelings for you," Paul looked strangely at the brunette. "You may find it weird, and so do I, definitely. But no one can help what they feel, and men and women have two different ways of experiencing that," the brunette turned away, closing her eyes.

"...Speaking of which..." opening one eye, she glanced back at him. "...Can I talk to you about that?"

"Are you confessing about your feelings?" she asked, the trainer waving his hands.

"No, no, no way. I mean...Just a talk in general, about feelings," he told her, the brunette watching him closely.

"...Okay, I guess," she shrugged, the trainer giving a sigh of relief. She walked past him, the trainer watching her confused as she walked away. She turned back to him, looking expectant. "...Are you coming or not?"

"...Oh, yeah, sorry," he shook his head, following her down the hallway.

"It must be serious, if you're saying sorry," she stated, the trainer frowning as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, in a way..." he muttered, following the girl until she stopped in front of a door. Pulling an object from her pocket, she opened the door. She stepped to the side, allowing him to move in as she tossed the key into the small dish on the nightstand. "Thanks," he stepped in, the girl closing the door behind him. He didn't hear it close, though.

"Wait," the pair looked at each other confused, May opening the door revealing Zo with a smile. "I thought this was suspicious, so I thought I'd come to make sure I get something interesting out of it," she explained. May looked at Paul expectantly, the trainer giving a shrug.

"She could help too, I guess," the brunette nodded, letting the girl step in. She closed the door, the two girls sitting on the bed.

"...You don't have to just stand, you know. You can sit," May told him, giggling to herself. The trainer sighed, feeling uncomfortable as the two girls watched him sit on the bed across from them. "So, what did you want to talk about? I heard you mention feelings."

"Yeah..." he rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the bed beside him. "...You two promise not to tell anyone about this? Not like a pinkie-swear or anything like that, I mean an oath on your life."

"Wow, this must really be serious," Zo smiled, leaning forward. "Now I'm really interested."

"We swear. Don't worry, Paul, you can trust us," May smiled, holding her hand over her chest. She nudged the girl beside her.

"What? Come on, I love secrets," Zo told her, the brunette remaining silent. "...Alright, I won't say a thing."

"Okay...Why I came to you two, that's because you're girls," they stared at him confused, the trainer feeling nervous. "...I need advice on dating."

"_What_?" Zo asked quizzically, the brunette forcing her elbow into her gut.

"By that, you mean...?" May inquired, Zo glaring at her while rubbing her side.

"...I think I asked a girl out today."

* * *

><p>"What did she mean, 'be careful of others' emotions'...?" Hilda asked herself, watching the ground as she walked. "We were talking about me and Ash, then she brought up Hilbert...What was that about...?" she sighed, crossing her arms. "Man, this is so confusing!"<p>

"Look out! Coming through!" confused, she looked behind her to see a man sprinting towards her. Unable to react, she was knocked to the ground. The brunette grunted, rubbing her back as she sat up. She winced, looking at her side with concern. The man rubbed his head, gasping as he noticed an object between the two on the dirt. He snatched it, shoving it in his pocket.

"Ow...My back..." she muttered, looking angrily at the man. Surprised, she recognized him. "Hilbert?"

"Huh? Oh, Hilda?" getting a look at her, he recognized his friend. "Hey, what's up?"

"What do you mean, 'what's up'? You just ran into me!"

"You got in my way!"

"This plaza is _empty_. You have all this space."

"Didn't notice..This is weird..."

"But you still had to run into me, huh?"

"Sorry about that, kind of in a hurry," he frowned as he stood and dusted himself off. He extended his arm to the brunette. "Here."

"I don't need help, I'm perfectly capable-" attempting to stand, she winced as she fell back down. She clutched her lower back. "Aah...Maybe not..."

"Come on, don't be stubborn now," Hilbert smiled, gently putting his hand on her back. She winced, glaring at the man. "Sorry if it hurts," her expression softened, surprised at his sudden kindness. Carefully, he helped her to her feet. "There you go, better now?"

"Yeah..." she said quietly, watching him confused.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her look.

"...Why did you help me? Usually, you would just run off without a second thought," she frowned, the man chuckling.

"Yeah, that's usually me. But I can't just leave a friend of mine like this," he smiled, the brunette seeing something new in his expression. "Are you good to walk?"

"Uh...Yeah, I think so," she replied, turning and moving her back slow and freely.

"You sure? You still look a little stiff, want me to help you back to the campsite?" he asked, the brunette shaking her head from her thoughts.

"No, I'm fine, really. You can go," she smiled, waving to him. He looked at her carefully, then shrugged.

"...If you say so, I guess. If you need help, don't hesitate to call me," he smiled, waving as he rushed off. The brunette watched him disappear from sight into the trees, feeling a strange sharp pain in her chest. She winced, noticing something. Moving her hands to her cheeks, she felt they were warmer than usual.

"...Was...Was Zo...Right...?"

**END**

**Sorry again for the late post. To try and help, I'm going to work on the next chapter as soon as this is posted, so hopefully that will help quicken it. After this chapter, I plan on having two more character-developing chapters, then their battle. Next chap will be the same day as this one, and the next will be the entire second day. Beyond that, it's Ash vs. Hilda. **

**How will Zo and May help Paul?  
>What will happen on Paul's "date"?<br>Where is Hilbert hurrying off to?  
>What will happen between Paul and Hilbert, with both knowing the rumor and Hilbert's purchase?<strong>


	52. Chapter 52

**Like I said, working on it right away. I only waited a while 'cause I didn't want to get your hopes up too much on faster posts, sorry, I'm a terrible person. Anyway, yeah, have fun.**

"You need advice on _dating_?" Zo asked, beaming. "This is so great, Paul's asking for dating advice!"

"Zo, be quiet," May nudged her again, looking at Paul. "So you came to girls about this? Let alone, us?"

"I definitely can't trust Ash, Brendan or Hilbert, they'll spread it around no matter what. I tried to ask Leaf, but Ash doesn't trust me alone because of that damn lie from Troublesome. I figured a girl could help me more with this, since you're all experts on emotions and relationships," he shrugged, leaning back on the bed.

"What's this lie from Dawn?" Zo asked, looking at May.

"Nothing that concerns you," she replied, Zo puffing her cheeks in disappointment. "Anyway, you say you think you asked a girl out. How do you not know?"

"...I don't know...I asked her if she wanted to go for coffee, but it didn't seem like one of those romantic scenes you see in a movie or some crap..." he rubbed the back of his neck, agravated from the thoughts in his mind.

"So? Where it is doesn't matter, it's how you two feel about it," May told him, giving a reassuring smile. "When she left, did she say 'then it's a date' or anything like that? What was her expression like?"

"How am I supposed to know this? I barely know why I did it in the first place!" he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "...She only told me where we should meet...She was smiling, and I think she winked at me..."

"...Good..." Paul looked at May oddly, who was nodding with her eyes closed. "...Those are good signs. Smaller than others, but still signs of positive attitude. I can't tell much from that, sadly, but I can say she was happy when you asked."

"Why would she be happy? I'm not the guy all the girls go for, or anything like that. Strangely enough, that's Ash," Paul replied.

"She knows that's true," Zo nudged the girl's elbow, smiling. May's elbow was forced into her gut again.

"Anyway, are you two meeting later today?" she asked, ignoring the pokemon girl's glare.

"No, she has to work late today. It's tomorrow after she's done working in the afternoon," Paul told her, recalling the girl's words. "...Now that I think, she did seem cheerful about it..."

"That's good," May smiled, giving a nod. "If she's excited talking on the topic, then she's going to be more happy tomorrow. She's also going to try to impress you."

"Impress me? Why?" Paul inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Guys may not notice it, but girls feel smaller compared to them on a date. Most girls want to try and impress the guy by talking about their own accomplishments and stuff, letting them know more about themselves than being the boring girl who does nothing," May explained, Zo smiling slyly.

"You speak from personal experience, huh?" she asked quietly, May hitting her.

"Mostly, yes, but it's still true. Besides, I don't hear you giving any advice," the brunette told her, the girl sticking her tongue out.

"I told you, I'm only here for secrets. Besides, I don't date, I can't even fully understand romance in human couples," Zo told them, closing her eyes calmly. The pair looking at her oddly.

"You don't date?" May asked.

"_Human_ couples?" Paul asked, the girl's eyes snapping open.

"A-Ah...No, that's nothing. I talk like that all the time, I just..." she grew nervous. How could she tell them calmly that she's a pokemon in disguise? "...I see myself as different than others, so I guess it became a habit as describing myself as not human. Yeah, that's it."

"It's just strange...You talk like you're a pokemon or something..." Paul shrugged, May giggling.

"Paul, that's stupid. How can Zo be a pokemon, but look perfectly human?" she asked, laughing.

"I guess," he chuckled to himself, Zo sitting silent with a nervous smile. What they don't know won't hurt them...

"Hey, anyway, let's get back to the topic here," Zo interrupted them, clapping her hands together. "Paul needs help, and he needs some girls to help him, right?"

"Yeah..." he trailed off cautiously, looking at her oddly.

"Well, believe it or not, I may not be a master in emotions, but apparently I'm great at advice. I didn't even know it, but I've actually been giving relationship advice for years," she smiled, the pair looking at her confused.

"Uh...Okay..." May wondered what was going through the girl's head, hoping she didn't have to hit her again.

"So, you asked a girl without really meaning to ask her _out_ out, right?" she asked, the trainer giving a nod. "Sounds to me you've got heart beneath that cold shell, but you don't support yourself enough."

"...What?" Paul blinked. The girl sighed.

"How do I put it..." Zo pondered silently, tapping her chin. Then something came to her. Ash and Paul were both trainers, so they would understand it in battle language. "Okay, imagine if you were a pokemon in battle."

"How does that relate to this?" May asked.

"Bear with me here. If you were a pokemon trying to use a special attack, you would need power and support. Trying to form a powerful attack without using your physical body, you would need to concentrate your power into a single form, right?" she explained, May staring blankly.

"Yeah," Paul nodded, May looking at him surprised.

"When focusing that power, you need to support it with your full power and mind. If you didn't support it, you-"

"It wouldn't be powerful at all, so it would have no effect," Paul finished.

"Exactly. Now in this dating situation, we use the same theory. If you don't support your feelings about asking this girl out, what would happen?" Zo asked, smiling.

"...It wouldn't have any effect...So the romance wouldn't be involved, I would just be there with a friend, right?" he asked, the girl giving a nod.

"Exactly. It might not help you know how to behave or act on your meeting tomorrow, but it helps you understand it. How it happens, how it feels, that all depends on how you feel about it. If you don't support your own feelings, then it's just going for coffee with a girl as friends. But if you believe in it-"

"Then it's a real date," May finished, the girl giving a nod. "That actually makes sense. Confusing, and takes a while to understand, but it does."

"So you're telling me...I need to think and figure out why I asked her, in order to know what kind of meeting I wanted this to be?" Paul asked, the girls smiling.

"You're understanding it now, and in such a short time. If I tried this with Ash, he would only ask what kind of attack is being used," Zo laughed, May joining her. Even Paul couldn't resist smirking.

"...Thanks, I think I get it a little more now. So now it's up to me, I have to figure out if I supported deeper feelings in my asking of her going out," he stated, May giving a single blink while Zo nodded.

"Yep."

"...If that means you think about why, then sure."

"Alright, thanks a lot, you two," he stood up, the girls smiling as he walked towards the door. He turned back to them. "You won't tell anyone, right?"

"It will stay between the three of us," May assured him, putting her hand on Zo's shoulder with a more forceful grip.

"Yep, for sure," Zo told him, wincing. Paul nodded, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him. Zo smacked the brunette's hand, glaring at her. "You're mean, you know that?" May smiled, her cheeks turning pink as she poked her fingers together.

"...Do you have any advice on how to get the courage to ask someone out...?"

"Nope, sorry."

"Aww...Also, who have you been giving advice to for years?"

"...Ah..."

* * *

><p>"Where did he go, Pi..?" Ash asked the mouse, looking around for the Sinnoh trainer. The pair sighed together, admitting the truth that he was not near the battle areas. He began walking to the exit, looking around behind him. "...Where are all the people today...This is really weird..." he muttered, shrugging as he turned the corner. Surprised, he bumped into someone. Alarmed by a sharp quiet scream, he snapped his head forward and reached out, grabbing the figure's hand and holding it from falling.<p>

"A-Ash?"

"Hilda?" he asked, recognizing the girl. She looked at Ash holding her hand to support her, blushing as she looked away. "Oh, s-sorry," he helped her balance on her feet again.

"...Are you starting to forget Leaf or something?" she asked, smiling sweetly to the trainer.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"You're still holding my hand," she told him. The trainer looked down, realizing she was right.

"Ah...Sorry, again," he let go of her hand, pulling them both into his pockets. Pikachu looked back and forth between the two, confused and curious.

"It's okay, I don't mind it at all," she told him, her smile still clear on her face.

"...Um...So what were you doing, before this?" he asked, feeling uncomfortable to make eye contact with her.

"I was just going for a walk, wondering why there's no one around," she replied, the trainer giving a nod.

"I know that, it's weird..." he looked around outside, not seeing a soul other than them. "...I wonder where everyone went..."

"Maybe they got bored of the tournament? Goodshow said there's two days before our battle, so there's nothing really to do around here but wait," Hilda stated, crossing her arms.

"...I guess that makes sense...You could be right on that..." he nodded, understanding the suggestion as a strong possibility.

"So what are you doing?" she asked.

"Just wandering around," he shrugged, the brunette smiled, wrapping her arms around his. Pikachu looked surprised at the sudden gesture.

"Then let's wander together," she suggested, Ash feeling nervous as she pushed against the side of him.

"Uh...I'm not sure, I don't think..." she looked at him with a hopeful look in her eyes, biting her lower lip. He felt something jump in his chest. "...Alright, fine..."

"Great!" she laughed happily, the trainer and mouse only feeling disappointed in him.

* * *

><p>"Gotta find something to do..." Leaf muttered, pushing through the bushes. She stepped into the clearing, looking around. "Weird, no one's ar-" she gasped, her eyes widening as she noticed only two people in the plaza. She slowly moved back towards the bushes, remaining quiet while she stared in shock. There was Ash, Hilda hanging on his arm and standing a lot closer than usual. "...I guess May and Dawn aren't all I have to worry about..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Come on, who have you given advice to?" May asked, annoying the pokemon girl in front of her as they walked down the hall.<p>

"No one, I said drop it," she said, frustrated at the brunette.

"I won't tell anyone," she said sincerely, giving her puppy-dog face as the girl looked back.

"I'm a girl, that doesn't affect me," Zo told her, May puffing her cheeks.

"Come on, you can trust me," she told her, the pair moving into the lobby.

"Nope," Zo replied, moving towards the doors.

"How about you tell me, if I show you something interesting?" she asked hopefully, the girl continuing towards the doors.

"I doubt you can give me anything interesting," Zo chuckled, the doors opening for her. The pair stepped out, eyes widening as something immediately caught their eye. Hilda clutching on Ash, closer than a normal _friendship_.

"...There you go."

* * *

><p>"We've got a bit of a journey, Braviary..." Hilbert told the eagle, rubbing the feathers on its neck. The bird squawked, flying over the open plaza. "Hey, people!" Hilbert winced, trying to identify the few people hidden in the area. He shrugged, giving up as he couldn't see very far down. Without him noticing, a small object slid out of his pocket, falling off the side of the bird towards the open ground below.<p>

* * *

><p>"So where are we going?" Hilda asked, beaming as she held on tighter to his arm.<p>

"I don't know, you just kind of forced this onto me..." he sighed quietly, thinking of a place to go. "...How about...The lake?"

"Sure, sounds great," she continued smiling, the trainer mentally hitting himself for the stuff he was getting himself into. He walked towards the trees, feeling uncomfortable and difficult to move freely as the girl was so close to him.

* * *

><p>"Ho...ly..."<p>

"...Crap..." Zo finished the brunette's words, both their mouths agape in shock. "...Should we...Tell someone...?"

"No way, you know how rumors spread with the people we know," May told her, frowning. "...Especially if Leaf hears..."

"Oh, right...She would be crushed..." Zo frowned, imagining the cheerful brunette depressed over hearing about it.

_Thud_.

The pair looked over to the right towards the trees, looking at the ground and seeing a small object. They stared confused, but something above it caught their eye. Looking up, their eyes widened more as the pair found eye contact with Leaf. All three stood with shocked expressions, not breathing a word. Leaf slowly raised her hand in a nervous wave, the pair copying the gesture. They all looked at the object again, slowly moving towards it. Upon getting closer, they noticed it was only a small white box.

"Oh, what are we worried about?" Zo asked, reaching for it.

"Wait!" May snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling it back. "What if it's a trap? Or a bomb or something?"

"Why would anyone drop a bomb in the middle of an empty area? Plus, how would it just fall from the sky?" she asked, the brunette puffing her cheeks frustratingly, unable to answer. "If you're so suspicious, then back up while I grab it," May nodded, turning on her heels and rushing a safe distance away. Zo sighed, looking at the box as sh slowly reached for it. As her fingers hovered over it, she closer her eyes and grabbed it. Opening one eye, she noticed nothing happened. "...See, May? It was nothing!" Zo laughed, taking the box and tossing it lightly in the air.

"What is it?" May asked, walking closer again.

"I dunno, but it's mine now," Zo smiled, pocketing the object. May frowned, shaking her head at the girl.

"...So...You guys saw that too, didn't you?" Leaf asked nervously, twiddling her thumbs.

"...Yeah..." May slowly nodded, feeling sorry for the girl. "...Are you okay?"

"...Yeah, I'm fine..." she replied, giving a brief smile.

"I've heard that before, and they were definitely not _fine_. Be honest," Zo told her, the brunette looking surprised at her. She looked at the ground, her hand moving to her chest. "See, your chest hurts, doesn't it?"

"...Yeah...I just..." she closed her eyes, rubbing beside her right eye. "...I know Dawn and you, May, have feelings for him too...But she's lied to us this whole time, when she know how serious I've been about it..." she sniffed, May and Zo feeling sad for the brunette.

"It's not just you, Leaf. She's been keeping the truth from all of us," May told her, patting her shoulder.

"She only told me earlier today," the brunettes looked at Zo in surprise, who looked somewhat guilty. "I probably shouldn't say this, but...She was telling me how she was finally honest with Ash, and I figured she was just joking. But the more she talked about it, the more I believed she was serious."

"So she likes Ash, too...but she only told you..." Leaf said quietly, her lip beginning to quiver.

"...I don't think it's just 'like'...Her feelings could be as strong as yours, Leaf..." the brunettes looked more surprised, Zo frowning. "...She could love him..."

"Hilda _loves_ Ash?" May asked quizzically, beyond shocked. Leaf's lip shook more, sniffling.

"...So the past five years...We've all had feelings for him, and didn't know where he was...But she was with him the whole time, building her feelings and getting to know the real him...The one that exists now..." Leaf's voice was low, almost to a whimper. May hugged the girl.

"No way, you can't give up on him," Leaf looked confused as the brunette hugged her. "It may seem intimidating that she's suddenly in this game now, but you can't give up on him. You and Ash were _childhood_ friends, nothing can beat that when they have their mind set on it!" May told her, hoping to lift her spirit.

"...But...You care for him too, don't you...?" Leaf asked, pulling back and looking at the brunette. She frowned, closing her eyes.

"...Yeah, I'll always have feelings for him..." she opened her eyes, flashing a gentle smile. "...But I don't think there's much hope for me anymore. Ever since you got here, I've been nothing more than a fangirl. But you...You belong with him."

"...R...Really...?" Leaf rubbed the corner of her eye, sniffing.

"Of course. There's no one who can beat you, as long as you have your heart set on it," May told her with a serious look. "Don't give up, this should only motivate you more! Show him you love him more than anyone else!"

"...But...You..." Leaf couldn't find her voice, but May understood what she was objecting at. She smiled, giving a nod.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be able to get back on my feet. Go, they couldn't have gotten far," May told her, stepping back from the brunette. Leaf watched her surprised, then smiled.

"...Yeah, you're right...I can't give up on him!" she smacked her hands against her cheeks, her expression turning serious again. "I love him, and I'm not letting her get in my way!"

"That's right, now go get him," May told her, crossing her arms with a smile. Leaf nodded.

"Thank you," she rushed off, hurrying to catch up with the pair. Zo stepped up beside May, putting her hand on her shoulder.

"...You did a good thing, May," she told her, the brunette giving a nod.

"...I'll get over him...Someday..." she closed her eyes, smiling.

"...But you may have also started a love war."

* * *

><p>"So...Why are you doing this?" Ash asked, glancing at the brunette beside him.<p>

"We've been friends for five years, but I've never actually shown what you mean to me," she replied, smiling as she rested her head against his shoulder as they walked.

"You don't have to, you know, I understand it from when we were at the lake before," he said nervously, the girl clutching tighter to his arm.

"That was just the beginning," she told him, giggling innocently to herself. To Ash and Pikachu, however, it was like the sound of Death laughing at them in a distant, echoing hallway.

_"It's like playing Slender...You know you're screwed, it's only a matter of time...And it sure scares the crap out of you when it comes..."_ Ash thought, fear clouding his mind. She looked up at him curiously.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, concerned. He shook his head, looking down at her.

"Uh...I'm fine," he told her, faintly smiling.

"I've heard that before," she frowned, reaching her hand up and holding it against his forehead. He felt sweat form on the back of his neck, the girl pulling her hand back. "You're not getting sick...Are you nervous?"

"What? No way, why would I have to be nervous?" he chuckled, his nervousness nearly visible as a sign above his head. "...Death, why are you taunting me...?"

"Did you say something?" she asked, smiling kindly. He shook his head, looking away from her. Without realizing it, they stepped into the clearing with the shimmering lake. "Whoa, we're here."

"Huh? Oh, you're right...Time just flew..." Ash muttered to himself, surprised to see the lake in front of him. She sat down, stretching her legs and arms. She smiled, looking up at him and patting the grass beside her. Hesitantly, he sat. Almost the instant he touched the grass, she leaned against him.

"Isn't this nice?" she asked, her smile never disappearing.

"We were like this earlier today..." Ash said slowly, looking oddly at her.

"Yes, but it's different now. Look," she pointed out over the water, the trainer following where she was looking. Surprised, he saw the glowing orange sun lowering into the sky, seemingly only a few inches above the treelines across the water. The orange sphere shined off the water's surface, giving it a glowing sight.

"...Wow...It does..." he sat still, mesmerized by the sight of the water. In all the times he had come to this spot, he had never seen it like this before.

"...I know you said you can't say who you love right now, but I want you to know something..." Ash looked down at her confused, the girl pushing her lips against his briefly. Quickly pulling back, she only smiled. "I love you, and nothing's going to change that. If I have to compete for your affection against Leaf, then that's what I'll do."

"...Hilda..." he was once again, at a loss of words because of the brunette. He could only stare at her in surprise, as he had so often done since this tournament started.

"Ash!"

"Huh?" he asked, blinking out of his trance. He and Hilda looked behind them, their eyes widening in shock.

"L-Leaf!"

"Am I _interrupting_?" she asked in a serious tone, glaring at the pair. Ash looked at Hilda, jumping up to his feet. "You two looked comfortable just now."

"T-This isn't what you think, s-seriously," he held his arms out dismissively, trying to defend himself. "Please help, Hilda?"

"It's not?" she asked, feeling hurt. Ash looked at her blankly, realizing she was on a completely different side than he was.

_"Not helping..."_ he thought with a mental facepalm.

"So, should I leave you two to what you were doing?" Leaf asked, hands on her hips.

"Uh...Leaf, hear me out here..." Ash said quietly, but felt there was no point. What she witnessed, nothing was going to calm her down anytime soon.

"I wouldn't mind that," the pair looked surprised at Hilda, who seemed to be speaking honest. "We were enjoying our time together."

"Well, too bad, that was _sarcasm_. As in, I'm not leaving," she told her, glaring at the girl.

"Uh...Leaf...Hilda...?" Ash waved his arm, but neither broke their eye contact. Hilda stood up, crossing her arms and moving towards the brunette.

"For your information, I'm in love with Ash too," Leaf became surprised. She didn't expect her to admit it so easily! "And if you're planning on getting between me and him, I'm afraid you're making a big mistake.

"I knew Ash first, and I knew him better."

"I know him _now_, that's really what matters. How can you live with someone in the present if they're in the past?"

"It's not about what they're like, it's about loving them for who they are."

"I love him for who he is _now_. Unless you plan on getting a time machine and going back to your past Ash, you're out of luck."

"I thought our fight during the semi-finals was just a minor bump, but turns out this is a disaster highway. It's _on_."

"There's no way I'm losing to you in the end."

_"What have I gotten myself into...?"_ Ash thought with a frown, watching the brunettes go face-to-face in a battle of feelings. Pikachu mimicked his trainer.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you're feeling okay about this?" Zo asked, looking worried for the brunette. She smiled, giving a nod.<p>

"Yeah, don't worry. Ash is better off with her anyway, they know each other better," she told her, dismissing the topic. "Besides, are you okay with it? I know you have feelings, too."

"What?" Zo asked, giving a puzzled look. "I don't like him, no way. A dense idiot like that?"

"But that's what makes him who he is," May told her, patting the girl's shoulder. "You know this already."

"Yeah, but there's no way I could like him. I'm just a close friend," she replied stubbornly, crossing her arms with a huff. "I guess I can seem like a loving sister when it comes to Ash and girls, but I only want him to be happy. Nothing more."

"Alright, then," May shrugged, smiling slyly. Zo stared at her suspiciously.

"What else is going on in that head of yours?" she asked cautiously, the brunette poking her tongue out in response.

* * *

><p>"So it's how I feel about it..." the Sinnoh trainer muttered, frowning as he stared at the clouds moving slowly above. Noticing the orange glow in the sky, he realized what time of day it was. "Oh, crap, the day's almost up. I should probably get back," he started walking through the trees again, thinking as he went.<br>_"If I think of it as a date, it will be...So what do I think it is...? When I asked her, it felt almost completely out of nowhere...Like the question just snuck up on me from behind, then pushed me into it..." _he frowned, his head starting to hurt from the topic. _"...This feeling pushed me into the situation, so I didn't have time to think about it...But now that I try to think, nothing comes up at all...Dammit, I hate all this..."_ he rubbed his forehead, shaking his head as he passed through the last of the bushes. Surprised, he saw Zo and May standing by the hotel doors, talking. Zo looked over at him curiously, smiling suspiciously and waving to him. He frowned again, moving towards them.

"Here's Mr. Prince-Charming-in-training, have you been thinking about it?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, but it's not helping. I'm still not getting anything," he shrugged, the girls frowning.

"Come on, Paul, it can't be that difficult to realize," May told him, tapping her toe.

"It may not seem like it to you, but it's like a hammer in my head, and it's just hitting again and again, repeatedly," he moved his hand to the side of his head, giving a yawn. "...Plus I'm starting to feel tired from it, I think I may just turn in for today."

"And leave this until tomorrow? You said you were meeting in the afternoon, right?" the trainer nodded. "Then you'll have to get up early and think more."

"Why do I have to think more about it? It's only causing me problems," he sighed.

"If you go to meet her thinking it's not a date but she thinks it is, you'll be on two separate pages and that will completely mess it up," Zo told him, the trainer looking confused.

"But what if she doesn't think it's a date, and I do. Won't it seem like I'm trying too much?" he asked, the girls giving a sigh.

"Trust us, we know how a girl thinks. From what you told us, we can almost guarantee she thinks it's a date," May smiled, trying to reassure the man. "Just be yourself, and do _not_ lie."

"...I guess I'll try, but I'm heading in for the night," he sighed quietly, walking in the doorway. The girls looked at each other, smiling.

"I think we do well together."

"Me too. We should do this more often."

**END**

**Well, that's it. I'm sorry if you think it's too dramatic and not enough battles, I've gotten a few reviews on that. I'm hoping to finish this story by Christmas, 'cause if I go past there, I will have **_**definitely**_** strung this story out **_**way too much**_**. Also, I recommend Slender for the fun of it. Terrifying, but fun.**

**How will Paul's 'date' go?  
>What will Ash do about being caught in the middle of a love war?<br>How will Ash and Hilda train for their battle in the finals?**


	53. Chapter 53

**Heyyo. Kinda tired from doing nothing all day, want to have this over by christmas. You get the point, so let's start.**

_"Pikapi..."_

"Five more minutes, Pi..."

_"Pikaaa..."_

"...Oh, alright...Alright..." the trainer yawned, lazily opening his eyes. He sat up from his slumber, yawning again as his back snapped on his way up. "...What time is it, anyway...?"

"Time for you to get an alarm clock," he blinked, confused as he looked at Zo, who was sitting in pokemon form by the tent. "It's a little after noon. You should start working on your timing, since your big battle is tomorrow. You need to train today."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..." he stood up slowly, rubbing his eyes. Then it dawned on him. "Wait...Why aren't you in disguise? What if the others see you? They'll ask me about you, you know."

"I don't plan on heading out today, I feel like sleeping it in," Ash gave her a surprised and unconvinced look, crossing his arms. "What? I'm serious, things have gotten weird since Hilda suddenly loves you and I don't want to get in the middle of it."

"The real Zo I know would never say that. What are you planning?" he asked, the pokemon frowning.

"Is it too much to ask for a trainer to trust his pokemon?" she asked, feeling hurt. Ash sighed, frowning.

"...Fine, I guess you can stay. Just remember to not wander around like a zorua, alright?" he asked, the pokemon giving a nod. He moved towards the tent, crouching to one knee and placing his hand on the pokemon's head. "Promise me you'll stay out of trouble."

"I will, don't worry about me. It's Leaf and Hilda you should worry about," she told him, smiling. The trainer felt a smile creep to his lips, giving a nod as he stood and walked out of the campsite. The pokemon snickered, grinning. "Good, now I can get to business."

* * *

><p>"Mandibuzz, Dark Pulse! Emboar, block it!" the bird soared in the sky, releasing a ray of dark power on the fire-type. It crossed its arms, receiving the attack and pushing forward, brushing the attack off like it's nothing. "Good job, guys!" Hilda cheered, smiling. "We're going up against Ash tomorrow, so it's training all afternoon. We have to be in perfect condition."<p>

"Hey! Hilda!" her expression turned to confusion, looking around. She shrugged, seeing no one, believing she had imagined it. "Hey! Try looking up!" she looked up, surprised to see a red and white-feathered eagle descending to the ground. The man smiled, jumping off the bird's back and landing safely.

"Hilbert? What are you doing?" she asked, watching the man recall his pokemon.

"That's the first thing you ask? Not 'Where have you been' or 'what were you doing'?" he chuckled, crossing his arms behind his head.

"You were back at the campsite since yesterday, I would assume," she crossed her arms, shaking her head with a quiet sigh.

"Nice try, but no. I spent the night in Castelia," she looked at him surprised, the man giving a nod. "Yep, just getting a little help with something from a friend of mine. He's a lot better than me with this kind of stuff."

"What kind of stuff did you have to go to Castelia for?" she asked, looking puzzled. The man smiled.

"Sorry, keeping quiet for now," the girl frowned, the man laughing to himself. "I'm sure everyone will learn about it soon enough, depends if I got the guts anytime soon."

"You're only confusing me more," she told him, the man laughing as he walked past her. She looked back at him, watching him disappear through the trees. She smiled, shaking her head.

* * *

><p>"Damn, I knew I would be early..." he muttered, checking his watch as he walked down the stairs to the mall. His wrist reading only 1 o'clock, he sighed as he stopped at the bottom.<p>

"I am not gonna be early, so I may as well wander for a bit..." he frowned, stuffing his hands in his pockets and walking down the path. Unknownst to him, a familiar figure followed him, being careful that he doesn't notice them.

* * *

><p>"May? Are you okay?"<p>

"Let me sleep..."

"May, get up. I can tell something's different with you."

"What makes you think that...?"

"Just get up!"

"Oh, what do you _want_!" she snapped, lurching forward and glaring at the girl beside her.

"You're mumbling in your sleep, and you keep tossing and turning," Misty told her, frowning. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing, now let me sleep," May pulled the cover back over her head, the redhead giving a sigh. She grabbed the brunette's ankles, heaving her out of the bed.

"Stop trying to avoid it, what's wrong?" the redhead asked, the brunette groaning as she stood up.

"I said nothing's wrong, now leave me alone," May glared at her, the redhead frowning as she looked carefully into her eyes.

"...You have bags under your eyes, you couldn't have been having nightmares _all_ night," Misty pointed out, the brunette rubbing her eyes. "Come on, I'm only asking as a friend."

"It's nothing to worry about," May assured her, giving a yawn as she walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

"Something's definitely wrong, she never goes that slowly to the bathroom," Brock stated, looking up from the magazine he was reading.

"I know, I'm even more worried now."

* * *

><p>"It's only been fifteen minutes..." he sighed, frowning as he leaned against the wall and looked around. Noticing a small flower shop, his eyes stopped on a few pink daisies in particular.<p>

_"Should I get her some...? Then she would think I thought it was a date, and if she didn't, then I would seem to be trying too hard..."_ he sighed again, clutching his head as he felt a headache starting. "Screw it, I'll take my chances," he began wandering again, noticing the diner in the side of his eye as he stepped into the path intersection. His feet stopping, something at the diner caught his eye.  
>The girl from the day before, his supposed 'date', sitting alone. She was looking into a small handhel mirror, carefully moving strands of hair from her face. He blinked, snapping himself from staring and turning away.<br>_"I was staring...I was staring at a girl...What is happening to me...?"_ he thought to himself, glancing back as he continued away. "...She was even earlier than me...That has to mean something, right...?"

* * *

><p>"I guess it's only natural she's training...She is against Ash, after all..." Hilbert told himself, beginning to recognize the scenery around him as he neared the campsite. "After the brutal defeat she got last time, she's definitely more motivated..."<p>

* * *

><p>"Okay, don't make a fool of yourself...Don't lie, be yourself..." he told himself, beginning to feel nervous as he neared the cafe from a different path. Staring at one small table in particular, he sighed. "...Dammit, I'm gonna mess this up so bad..." he shrugged it off, continuing towards the table. "Hey."<p>

"Oh?" she looked back at him with a curious look, a smile quickly appearing on her face. "Paul, good to see you!"

"Likewise. How long have you been waiting?" he asked, taking a seat across from her. Seeing her closer, Paul saw she was wearing light blue jeans and a simple blue blouse, with her blonde hair down just past her neck.

"Not very long. I was really nervous about it, though. I've been stood up so many times, I'm always skeptical of meeting someone now," she giggled.

"I can't imagine why anyone would back out of meeting you," Paul told her, the girl looking at him confused. "You're a beautiful woman, anyone to stand you up is really missing out."

"Oh, well...Thank you," she blushed, a smile spreading across her face again. "I was really surprised when you asked me out like this. I do get a lot of men asking me to meet them, but none of them have ever been like you."

"How so?" he asked.

"All the men to come to up me have been the same. Arrogant, hot-headed, overconfident, they think they can get anything they want. But you're different, you were nervous," Paul frowned, scratching the back of his neck. "I've never had a guy nervous to talk to me, it was something new."

"Well, I'm not the kind of guy for this stuff, I really had no idea what I was going to say. It just kind of came out, I guess," he chuckled, the girl giggling.

"Well I liked it. It's cute," Paul looked at her, her smile more gentle than before. "And for you asking me out, I'm one of the luckiest girls in the world."

"It's a rare thing, for sure..." he smirked, then something dawned on him. "Wait, I just realized I don't even know your name."

"Really? Oh my gosh, I'm sorry, I guess I was caught up in the moment yesterday that I forgot to tell you," she gasped, giving an apologetic look.

"It's okay, even getting to meet you is a good thing," he told her, the girl giggling again.

"It's Alice."

* * *

><p>"So where should we train, Pi?" the raven-haired trainer asked.<p>

_"Pipi kachupi," _the mouse pointed ahead of them, the trainer looking ahead.

"Where we were with lucario and gallade? Alright, that should be a good place," he nodded, walking in the direction towards his destination in-mind.

"Hey! Ash!" he looked back, seeing the blunette energetically following him.

"Hey, Dawn. I'm off to training, and I don't want anyone knowing my strategies but me," he told her, the blunette frowning.

"That's disappointing, but not what I came for. Have you seen Paul around?" the trainer shook his head, the blunette crossing her arms. "Man, I can't find that guy anywhere."

"He's a floater, what do you expect? Also, what _really_ happened between you two when you were alone?" he asked, the girl tilting her head in confusion. "He said you two didn't do what you said, so I'm just wondering what really happened."

"Sorry, Ash! No time, bye!" she suddenly rushed off, leaving the trainer and mouse to blink in confusion. Shrugging it off, they continued towards their training destination.

* * *

><p>"I could have slept the whole day off..." May rubbed her eye, giving a yawn as she walked down the hall. Stepping into the lobby, she noticed the pink-haired woman was not standing behind the desk. "...Weird...Guess she's taking a break..." she shrugged, continuing out the doorway. The doors opened for her, surprising her as the blunette was standing with her arms crossed.<p>

"Have you seen Paul?" she asked.

"He told me he had something important to do right about now," she replied, giving another yawn.

"Where is he? Do you know?" she asked, stepping closer to the brunette and looking into her eyes cautiously. The brunette stepped back, feeling nervous.

"He went to the cafe with someone, why do you want to know?" she replied, the blunette giving a gasp.

"He's meeting someone? Who?" she demanded, stepping closer again.

"It's a girl he met yesterday, they're meeting for coffee. And stop getting closer, it's freaking me out," the brunette stepped bac uneasily, the blunette gasping again. She dashed down the side-hall, disappearing down the staircase leading to the mall. "...I have no idea what that was...But why is everything weird today?"

* * *

><p>"So, Alice, how long have you worked at the jewellery store here?" Paul asked.<p>

"A few months now, it's pretty fun. I love jewellery and know so much about it, and I love talking with people, so it's perfect for me," she replied, smiling.

"But why not get a job in Castelia? I'm sure it's not very popular here, except around the tournaments," Paul responded, the girl giving a nod.

"Yeah, but I do get the nervous feeling around others every now and then," she told him, looking at the table. "I'm actually really nervous right now."

"Why? You seem like such a happy and social person in the store," he told her, the girl's cheeks turning pink as she shyly smiled to herself.

"I've watched tournaments and battles on tv for a long time, and I've seen you a lot. You're a really powerful trainer, and I've actually admired you for quite some time," she noticed Paul looking at her cautiously, her cheeks warming more as she waved her hands dismissively. "N-Not in a creepy way, d-definitely! You're just r-really strong and a lot of trainers look up to you, I've just found that admirable!" he continued looking at her, the girl's cheeks gradually getting warmer as she pressed her palms on the table and stood. "I'm very sorry. I'm so nervous being with you, and you probably think I'm a creep for saying these things, so I shou-"

"Wait," surprised, she saw his hand move on top of hers. "You don't have to go."

"W...What?" she asked, looking shocked.

"So you've seen a few of my battles on tv, a lot of people do. If you admire me, you have good taste in power," she couldn't resist giggling. "Please, stay. If you're a fan of me, I feel more that I should help our time together be enjoyable for you."

"...Mr. Paul..." she couldn't find her words, only able to stare at him while her cheeks began to return to normal.

"Please, just call me Paul," he smiled, surprising the girl more. She nodded, sitting back down. "And you don't have to be nervous, we're friends."

"You consider us friends?" she asked, her cheeks warming again.

"Of course," she looked at him, amazed, then smiled.

"...Thank you. I'm still nervous, but this is helping quite a bit," she told him, looking down at the table in embarrassement. Catching her eye, she noticed his hand was still on hers.

"No worries, as long as you have fun, I'm more than glad," he told her, the girl giving a nod.

"So tell me about yourself. What's it like to be a star?"

* * *

><p>"Where is that jerk...?" Dawn asked herself, looking around the mall cautiously as she searched for the man. Reaching a connection of paths, she noticed the sign for the cafe. "May said he was meeting at the cafe- Aha!"<p>

* * *

><p>"So far, this is going well..." a woman said to herself as she walked towards the occupied table, smiling. "Hello, how may I help the young couple today?"<p>

"W-What?" the blonde girl asked, surprised as she cheeks burned.

"Oh, we're not a couple. We're just friends," Paul added, his cheeks beginning to warm as well.

"Are you sure? You two look adorable together," their cheeks burned more, looking away in embarrassement. "I suppose I'm mistaken, unfortunately. May I help you with drinks?"

"Just water is fine," Alice stated.

"I'll take a coffee," Paul added.

"Ok, I'll be back soon," she smiled, beginning to turn away until something caught her eye. In the distance, down the path, she noticed a blunette walking towards them. _"Ah, crap. This won't end well,"_ she thought, quickly disappearing into the back room. Thankfully everyone working was busy, she jumped into the air and disappeared in a red vortex. Landing again as a familiar young brunette, she stepped back through the doorway and hurried past the tables without the young pair noticing her, too caught up in their conversation. She hurried straight ahead.

"Out of my way, Leaf," Dawn continued moving, but the 'brunette' held her back. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not letting you ruin this," the girl looked into the blunette's eyes, confusing her. Her eyes flashed a deep and strange red, then the blunette's eyes blanked, her lids dropping and her body going limp. She fell into the girl's arms, who carried her away. The few people around began giving strange looks, which she immediately noticed. "Nothing to see here, she just passed out. Continue with your business."

* * *

><p>"So, Hilbert, what have you been up to recently?" Leaf asked, looking curiously at the man.<p>

"Thank you, someone who finally cares," Hilbert sighed, giving a chuckle. "I went out to Castelia, spent the night with a bud of mine, came back."

"You went to Castelia? What were you doing?" she asked, surprised.

"Just some business I needed to take care of, too bad I forgot the business here," he chuckled nervously, crossing his arms behind his head.

"What do you mean?" she asked, puzzled.

"He specializes in a certain field, and I wanted him to check something for me. But once I got there and I tried to let him see it, turns out I didn't have it, so I must have left it around here somewhere," he sweatdropped, frowning.

"So you came back to find it?" she asked, the man giving a nod. "I can help you look, if you want."

"Nah, I got it. Something I shouldn't worry others with, anyway," he shrugged, the girl looking confused.

"Are you sure? I've got nothing to do, and I would be more than happy to help," she told him, but the man shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, it's something I have to get through myself. Might be difficult, but I'll make it work somehow," the brunette nodded, wondering the meaning behind his words. "So again, why are you still following me?"

"Because I have nothing to do," she shrugged, the pair passing through the final of the bushes and stepping into the plaza.

"Okay, well...I've got my own thing to do, so..." he trailed off, looking at the brunette's bright and innocent face. "...There's no way to nicely say it. Please go wander somewhere else."

"Okay," she walked past him, the man looking surprised that it had worked. He watched the brunette walking away, shaking his head from his thoughts.

"I gotta find it, can't get distracted."

* * *

><p>"Alright, guys!" Ash tossed the six pokeballs into the air, enlargening and bursting open in brilliant flashes. He watched the pokemon appear in front of him, each looking determined. "Alright, guys, we're on full training today. Our battle with Hilda is tomorrow, and I want everyone feeling well and confident. Let's begin."<p>

* * *

><p>"So you don't like being popular?" the blonde-haired girl asked, looking confused.<p>

"It seems like a glamourous life, but it's really not all that good. The paparazzi gets really annoying after a while, they find you no matter where you are or what you're doing," he sighed, the girl giving a frown.

"Sounds rough," she stated, the trainer giving a nod. Paul glanced up, noticing the familiar woman moving towards them with two glasses.

"Here's your water, and here's your coffee. Would you two like anything else?" she asked, the pair shaking their heads. "...Are you sure you're not a couple? You're still holding hands from when I was here earlier."

"What?" Paul asked, looking down at the table. Shocked, he realized his hand was on Alice's. His body hesitated, but he pulled his hand off hers. "S-Sorry."

"And you're nervous about it, you two are simply adorable together," she commented, smiling as she turned and moved away. Alice's cheeks burned again, Paul giving a sigh.

"Sorry about the hand thing," he told her, the girl shaking her head.

"Don't worry, I didn't mind. It was actually nice," she smiled, surprising Paul. "Hey...Isn't that Hilbert?"

"Where?" Paul looked behind, surprised to see the man wandering around looking curiously on the floor as he went. "...I think he's finally lost it..."

"No, I think he's looking for something he might have dropped," she responded, Paul continuing to watch the man.

"...That also..." the pair continued to watch the man search. The man began looking up at the walls around him, until his gaze somehow set on the pair. A grin spread across his face, walking towards them. The woman serving them moved towards the pair at the table. Confused, she followed their looks and saw the man, frowning. _"Now this guy? Come on, you guys come at the worst times..."_ she thought, disappearing into the red vortex again. Landing again as the brunette, she hurried towards the man and grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, Leaf, I just saw you out- Wait, how did you get here before me?" he asked, amazed.

"You can't be here right now," she looked into his eyes, flashing a strange red again. The man looked surprised, his eyes blanking.

"...Z...Zo..." he groaned, then collapsed. She caught him, frowning as she dragged him towards where she had with the blunette. Again, others looked oddly at her.

"What? There's something in the air, okay? Everyone passes out sometime in their life, it's nothing special."

* * *

><p>"What to do...What to do...?" Leaf asked herself, looking around curiously. Stepping through the great doorway of the battle areas, she looked at each smaller doorway leading to the battlefields. "...Four great trainers of this land, this stadium created to separate their individuality on the battlefield..." she smiled, then something caught her ear. Intrigued, she followed the sound until she was moving towards a battlefield. Confused, she noticed May sitting alone on the bleacher, twiddling her thumbs on her thighs. "May?"<p>

"Huh?" she looked up, surprised to see the brunette. "Oh, Leaf. Hey."

"Hey...What are you doing here?" she asked, moving closer.

"Nothing, just...Thinking," she shrugged, staring at her thumbs moving in circles around each other.

"Thinking of what?" she inquired, the brunette not responding. "...Still thinking about the Ash stuff?"

"What? ...Oh, no, not anymore," she shook her head, her cheeks now pink. "It's not Ash, it's...Something else that's on my mind..."

"...Is it another guy?" May looked oddly at Leaf, who shrugged. "I'm a master when it comes to knowing feelings, trust me."

"I'm not really thinking of a guy, more like...My future. When I grow up, what I'll do, that kind of stuff," she replied, the Kanto brunette sitting beside her.

"Are you thinking of possibly being a mother?" she asked.

"Of course, I'd love to be a mother someday."

"So you're thinking of what guy you want to be with?"

...Okay, now I see where you're going with this."

"It's nothing bad, May. You really should think about this."

"It's just weird, though. I used to always think Ash was the one for me, but I never would have imagined he would have a soulmate like you."

"Well...Thank you, I guess," her cheeks flushed, smiling to herself as she looked away. "So what do you imagine the guy to be like?"

"I don't really know...I would hope he's caring, good with kids, friendly...And I want him to understand me..." she trailed off in thought, giving a sigh as her chin dropped into her palms supported by her legs. "...But guys like that are barely around, you can only find two or three in your entire life."

"I'm sure you'll find one someday," May glanced at the smiling brunette, a smile spreading across her own face.

"...I guess you're right," she took a deep breath, sitting up again. "I'll worry about that when I come to it, right now I'll enjoy being with my friends."

"Hey! Girls!" the brunettes looked towards the doorway, seeing the Hoenn trainer standing with his arms crossed, looking at them oddly. "What are you two doing over there?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Brendan!" May called back, the trainer beginning to walk towards them.

"Aww, that's mean, don't you think?" he asked.

"Not at all," May laughed, smiling. Leaf looked at her, smiling to herself in silence.

_"She doesn't realize what she's looking for is right in front of her..."_

* * *

><p>"Here you are," the woman poured the coffee into the cup, Paul giving a nod. "If there's anything else, don't hesitate to call."<p>

"Thank you," Alice said, the woman walking away. She turned the corner, giving a sigh.

_"How long are they going to be here? This is actually pretty tiring, with Dawn and Hilbert almost ruining this,"_ she thought, frowning. _"...Come on! Just kiss already, you two!"_

* * *

><p>"Ooooh...uuh..." Hilbert groaned, wincing as he slowly opened his eyes. Confused as he looked around, his eyes then snapped open. He lurched up, looking around oddly. "...What the...?"<p>

"...Mmm..." confused, he looked behind him and saw another figure. He jumped back, hitting the wall. Noticing something particular about the figure, he stood up and looked closer. Moving to the other side, he noticed it was a familiar blunette.

"Dawn?" he asked, tapping her shoulder.

"...No, Mom...No more glitter..." Hilbert sweatdropped, his head dropping with a sigh. He grabbed her shoulder, shaking it.

"Wake up, Dawn, come on..." he muttered, the girl's eyelids beginning to flutter.

"...Mmmm...Mom...?" she asked tiredly, blinking lazily at the man.

"No, far from it," he sighed, the blunette sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She stretched her arms behind her back, the man looking away.

"...Wha...Where am I?" she asked, looking around oddly.

"That's what I was hoping for you to answer. What do you remember before passing out?" he asked, the blunette looking at him.

"Oh, hi Hilbert! I remember being in the mall, I was looking for Paul, then I-" she suddenly gasped, startling the man. "_Paul_! I saw him with a girl!"

"A girl?" he asked quizzically, looking unconvinced.

"Yes, they were at a table at the cafe, and I was going to talk to them but Leaf came up to me and her eyes flashed red, then I got dizzy," the blunette explained, Hilbert crossing his arms.

"Same thing with me, I saw Paul with a girl and went over to mess with him, but Leaf blocked me," he closed his eyes, picturing the brunette with her eyes flashing again. _"But I'm certain...That was Zo's Hypnosis..."_

"But what was with Leaf's eyes? It was like she was a demon or something," Dawn tapped her chin in thought, thinking back to the girl.

"Let's figure that out after," he dismissed the topic, standing again and looking around. "First we have to figure out where we are, and how to get out." he was confused as the girl didn't respond, looking down at her again. She was holding her arms crossed tightly, shaking. "Dawn?"

"...A-Are you...C-Cold...?" she asked, looking up at him.

"This jacket's warmer than it looks, so not really," he shrugged, then something dawned him. He looked around, holding his hand against the wall. Freezing cold. "Wait a minute...Don't tell me...!"

"W-What is it?" her teeth chattered, the man giving a sigh, his braeth clearly visible.

"Somehow...We're in a freezer."

* * *

><p>"I really had fun," Alice told him, smiling as she stood up.<p>

"Me too, you're a great girl," Paul stood as well, the girl's cheeks warming again.

"T-Thank you," she smiled to herself, focusing on a floor tile in embarrassement. "I'm sorry I have to go, it's just that my sister's kind of helpless without me..."

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad we could meet," Paul smirked, the girl giving a smile.

"Same here, I never would have imagined you out of anyone to ask me out," she giggled, the trainer scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have seen it coming either," he chuckled, the blonde-haired girl holding her hands behind her back. "So, I guess...I'll see you later, maybe...?"

"Definitely," she giggled, pulling a piece of paper from her pocket. He looked confused as she took his hand, slipping the paper in his fingers. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm more than glad to be that someone."

"...Thanks..." he looked at her, surprised by the action. She smiled, leaning forward and standing on her toes. Shocked, he watched her press her lips against his cheek gently, the warm feeling heating his face. She pulled back, her own cheeks a tinge of pink as she laughed, smiling.

"I'll see you around, Paul," she told him, turning away.

"Goodbye for now, Alice," he replied, the girl smiling to herself as she walked away from him. Behind him, a familiar figure snuck up on him.

"Congrats for finally being a man, Paul!" she slapped him on the back, the trainer turning with a frustrated look.

"You were watching us the whole time, weren't you?" he asked, the girl poking her tongue out playfully.

"Of course not, who do you think I am?" Zo asked, smiling innocently.

"You're a persistent girl who stops at nothing to get amusing information," he responded, the girl giving a frown.

"You know me well."

"So you've seen everything between us?"

"Yes, a few parts I missed because of some mishaps."

"What mishaps? Like watching Leaf drag away an unconscious Hilbert?"

"Yeah, just like- Oh no!" Paul watched in confusion as she dashed away, darting inside the cafe and disappearing through the doorway.

"What is wrong with her...?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, think. How can we get out of a freezer?" Hilbert asked, the blunette unable to hold her teeth from chattering.<p>

"W-Well...They lock f-from the outside, s-so there's not much w-we can do..." she stuttered, the man looking down at her. She remained curled up holding herself tightly, her eyes closed. He looked at the door, giving a sigh as he lowered the zipper of his jacket.

"You'll get sick like this," he told her, pulling his arms out of the sleeves. She slowly opened her eyeslids, surprised to see him lowering his jacket over her shoulders. He tucked it around her arms, his arms beginning to shake as he pulled them back, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"But will you be okay just like that?" she asked, looking at the plain white t-shirt he wore beneath his jacket.

"Yeah, I'll be f...fine..." he bit his lip, preventing it from quivering. She stared at him with a worried expression, the man looking at the door. "...We'll just have to wait it out, I guess...Until someone needs in here..."

"...Hey, can I ask you something?" she asked, the man looking at her.

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, the blunette's expression turning serious.

"...Do you really love Hilda?" the man froze, metaphorically, at the girl's words. She continued to stare at him, waiting for an answer as he could only look back at her. He sighed, looking at the door again, then back at her.

"...Dawn-"

"Ohmygosh, are you guys okay!" the door suddenly burst open, releasing a large amount of light to pour into the room. the blunette winced and covered her eyes, the man wincing as he turned around and looked through the doorway. Confused, he noticed Zo looking worried. "You're okay, right? Please tell me no one's finger froze and broke off!"

* * *

><p>"Alright, guys, take a break," Hilda called, the pokemon panting lightly as they each took a seat on the grass. The girl grinned. "It seems like our battle with Ash is only a few minutes away, but we're gonna win. With what happened last time, we're going to win for sure!"<p>

* * *

><p>"That's enough, guys, we'll take a few minutes," Ash told them, wiping a drop of sweat from his forehead. The pokemon nodded, returning to normal stances. He smirked. "We'll be ready for this battle...And we'll win. No matter how many times she challenges us, we'll prevail each and every time!"<p>

**END**

**Hope that was okay. Gonna be kinda rushed for Christmas, have to squeeze in my shopping too, it doesn't seem like the time I should be shopping though. It's messed.**

**What will Dawn do with Paul about his date?  
>How will Ash and Hilda's battle start?<strong>


	54. Chapter 54

**Getting closer to the holidays, so I'm trying to get these finished soon without them being too awful. But I guess I'll fail that either way, huh? Anyway...**

"Only one more, Pi," Ash grunted, the mouse nodding weakly as a bead of sweat went down its forehead. Mustering the strength, it focused every available muscle in its small arms and pushed its body up, signaling its finish to the hundredth push-up. "Good job, buddy."

_"Pi...Pi...Pi..."_ the mouse breathed heavily, rolling over onto its back. The man wiped his forehead, smirking as his breath was paced as well.

"Alright, we'll get a little drink from the lake and head to the arena."

"Hey, can you shut up! Tryin' to sleep here!" Ash frowned, looking at the tent where an angry Zo looked at him angrily.

"Why? You didn't even do anything yesterday, so you claim," he crossed his arms, the girl giving a sigh.

"I have lots of time, but not enough of it I can sleep. It really sucks," she replied, closing her eyes as she rested her head again. "If you're going to the lake, go already."

"Why are you so insistent?"

"Get out of here, or shut up. Your choice."

"Fine."

"Thank you" she sighed relievingly, the trainer looking at her with a frown as he opened a pokeball, releasing the man-like green pokemon.

"We're going to the lake," he told the pokemon.

_"Lade," _it nodded, closing its eyes as he held the trainer's arm, disappearing in a flash. The girl sighed, rolling onto her back.

"Aaah...Peace and quiet..."

"Hey! Anybody here still?"

"Damn..." she muttered, opening one eye and looking out. Seeing the man wal into the clearing, she gives him a frustrated look.

"Can't you see someone's sleeping here?" she asked.

"Nope. Anyway, have you seen anything on the ground lately? I've been looking for something but can't find it," he frowned, crossing his arms behind his head. The girl gave him a funny look.

"Nothing in particular," she adjusted slightly. "But what is it exactly? I could probably find it, I'm strangely good at finding things."

"Uh...It's nothing special in particular, just a common thing," he shrugged, the girl giving him a funny look again.

"And the definition of a common thing is...?" she trailed off, expecting the man to answer. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"...A small black box, I'm holding something for a friend," he told her, the girl looking surprised. She reaches her hand into her pocket, pulling out the exact object.

"Like this?" she asked, the man looking surprised as he saw it.

"Where did you find that?" he asked.

"It fell out of the sky sometime yesterday, or something, I don't really remember," she shrugged, twirling the box carefully in her fingers.

"So can I have it back?" he asked hopefully, the girl pulling it back slightly.

"Hold up, first I want an answer."

"Fine, what?"

"You said you're holding this for a friend. I want to know who's this is."

* * *

><p>"It's so peaceful, every time we're here..." he smirked, looking out at the water's shining edge.<p>

_"Erlade, gal," _the pokemon nodded, crossing its arms. Ash walked to the water's edge, the mouse hopping off his shoulder. The trainer crouched by the edge, reaching his hand into the water. The mouse leaned forward carefully, holding the ground as he drank from the lake, the man taking handfuls of water and raising it to his mouth. "...Still sweet as it used to be..."

_"Lade?"_ the pokemon asked, moving beside its trainer.

"Don't worry, Gallade. Everyone has some time off, relax a bit," he patted the pokemon's back, but it only looked at him oddly. "Gallade, we're not going to lose. I refuse to lose at this point, and knowing we're going against Hilda only gets me more determined," he smirked, the pokemon giving a nod. "So take it easy, okay? The battle's not for a little bit, so we can take some time off."

_"Kachupi pika chu, chupi,"_ the mouse told him, the trainer giving a sigh.

"That's another reason why I'm suggesting we should have some peace before this match, just in case," he ran a hand through his hair, frowning as he looked at the water again.

_"Lade?"_

"It's alright, Gallade. It's something on my mind, but I assure you it won't affect my battling," he smirked to the pokemon pair, who nodded.

"Stupid Zo, always hiding my stuff. Now she thinks it's-Ash?" the trainer looked behind him, confused to see Hilbert.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I was just going to check something about this thing I had, but I can come back if you're here for a private reason," he told him, the trainer shaking his head.

"No, it's fine. Stay, we're just talking anyway," Ash replied, the man giving a nod as he walked towards the water. He crouched beside the edge, dipping his fingers into the water. "...What is it you're doing, though?"

"Using water for a test," he repied, pulling something from his pocket. Ash watched curiously as he opened a small black box , but kepy it hidden from the trainer's view. He could tell though he was only holding his hand over the box, letting the liquid drop into it.

"What is this test exactly? And what's that box?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"None of your business, it's something I need to take care of myself," he responded plainly, the trainer only becoming more interested.

"...Come on, you can't fight me and you know it," he told him, taking a step forward. Hilbert jumped up, knowing what the trainer meant.

"W-Wait, don't-!" the man stopped, however, as the black box slipped from his fingers. He began grabbing at it in the air, but it only bounced off his skin as he slipped, falling on his back. He watched it fall from the air towards the ground, closing his eyes from fear. Slowly, he opened them a few seconds after and saw the smiling mouse holding the box carefully. "Oh, thank you so much, Pikachu..."

"Pi," the mouse turned away from the man, walking towards the trainer. Hilbert's eyes widened at the mouse's betrayal, watching it place the box in the trainer's lowered open palm. "Thanks, buddy," he raised it closer to his face, looking carefully at it. Hilbert watched as he looked at it blankly for a few seconds, then he blinked. Then his eyes widened.

"Before you say something, I know it-"

"Are you _serious_?" he asked in disbelief, not believing what he saw.

"Shut up," Hilbert muttered, frowning as he stood again.

"Okay, Hilbert, I have quite a few questions because of this," Ash put one hand to the side of his head, only staring at the box in surprise as he let out his breath. "For one, why do you have this?"

"I bought it," he replied plainly, acting as if it's no big deal.

"To that, I only say this," he stepped closer to the man, pushing the box towards his face. "One does not simply buy _this_ for _no reason_!" Hilbert frowned, realizing he was right. The box held a small silver ring, the top holding in place a fair-sized diamond of visible high standard. "What makes you buy a _diamond ring_?"

"Just...No special reason, really," he shrugged, looking out at the water.

"...Like I believe that crap," Ash scoffed, shaing his head.

"Just drop it, 'kay?" he sighed, holding the box up and looking carefully at the ring.

"So what's with the water test?" the raven-haired trainer inquired, crossing his arms again and looking closer.

"They say if you put diamond underwater, it can help tell if it's a fake or not," he told him, confusing the trainer. "I bought this at the little store in the mall, I'm not sure if it's real or not."

"Okay...So you know it's real how? You can see clearly through it or something?" he asked, the man giving a sigh.

"Don't you know anything about diamonds?" the trainer shook his head. "Man, I thought you would know everything about this given your situation. "But basically yeah, you're right. It should shine the slightest bit more."

"Ah...Well, I'll leave you to this, then," he turned around, shaking his head with a smirk.

"Ash," he stopped, turning back to face the man. "As a friend, I'll be serious about this and tell you it's not long before you should learn this."

"What are you talking about?" he crossed his arms, giving a cautious look.

"I mean rings. You've got Leaf and Hilda competing for you, and they're dead serious about their feelings for you. It's not long before you'll really have to choose," he explained, the Kanto trainer only giving a sigh.

"That's a little complicated, though," he responded, running a hand through his hair. The mouse and man-like pokemon, who had been watching silently, now walked towards him, the mouse jumping on his shoulder and the psychic-type standing beside him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know I'll have to choose soon, and I know everyone won't be happy when I do, but it's how it has to be. Plus the ring business I have done."

"Okay, just so you- Wait, what? You've already got a ring?" he asked, blinking in surprise. Ash smirked, pulling a small white box from his pocket and showing him.

"I'm four years ahead of you," with that, he disappeared in a flash. Hilbert blinked.

"...That unlucky bastard..."

* * *

><p>"Ah, good job, Gallade," Ash nodded to the pokemon, returning it in a red beam of light. Ash looked around the plaza, confused to see no one. "...Okay, something's definitely up. If I know battle fans, they would be swarming by now."<p>

"Ash!" seeing a familiar brunette run to him from the center doorway, he watched as she reached him in a matter of seconds. "Your battle starts in twenty minutes, what are you standing here for?"

"I just got here," he told her, the girl giving a gasp.

"Seriously? You'll be late!" he looked confused. "You know the area around the battlefield is going to be crowded, you won't reach the trainer box in time!"

"What are you talking about, Leaf?" he asked, the girl puffing her cheeks in frustration.

"Come on!" she grabbed his hand, quickly pulling him along through the doorway.

"Wait, let me walk," he told her, but the brunette's grip tightened on his hand.

"No way, mister. You still have to get to the battlefield," she replied, the trainer looking confused again.

"So which is the match in? Grimsley? Marshal?" he asked, the girl looking at him in surprise.

"You don't even now where you're battling?" she asked, the trainer only staring blankly. "I can't believe this! Come on!"

"Hey, hey!" he winced as she pulled more on his arm, increasing her pace. "Where are we going, then?"

"We're meeting where Goodshow told you to, genius," she sighed, moving towards the statue.

"What are you talking about?"

"The announcement he made about twenty minutes ago."

"I was at the lake."

"Oh, well aren't you just the smartest planner in the world!"

"I know, I know. So what did he say?"

"He said over the speaker system that anyone wanting to watch the match was to go around the league and walk to the battlefield. But Hilda said Goodshow wanted to meet with her personally, as one of the finalists, I think he tried finding you too but gave up 'caused you weren't here. Anyway, he told her to go to the statue when she was ready to go to the battlefield, and she told me to tell you when I find you."

"Wait, you two spoke? You were speaking normally to each other?"

"No, she insisted she would tell you herself. I had to make her feel guilty of possibly missing the match to get her to finally give in, she's just a fair loser in the game of love."

"You're scary when you're serious, you know that?" he asked, feeling nervous as the girl stopped by the statue. She turned to him, flashing a gentle smile.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

"Alright, let's go then!" she exclaimed, the trainer looking at her oddly.

"...How?" he asked, the brunette giving a sigh.

"He said there's a button hidden on the plate," she told him, pointing to the golden plate on the statue base. Ash looked closer, carefully searching voer every inch of the plate.

"I'm not seeing anything..." he muttered, then something caught his eye. Across the top was a row of a variety of gems, which appeared to look very expensive but securely fastened by gold and metal. In the center, there was an empty slot the size of a gem. "Wait, is it this?" he reached a finger out, pressing it against the empty slot. It beeped, the statue beginning to shake. Ash and Leaf stumbled, the brunette grabbing his arm as they looked around. The circle on the floor began to glow a bright blue, then the light shot up, surrounding the statue. The statue suddenly lowered in the air slowly, surprising the pair. They looked around as the ground began to rise above them, descending into another level. They watched as a vast desert area came into view, the land sloping up. As the statue hit the ground, the light fading, their eyes widened.

"We're going up _there_?" Leaf asked in shock. Across the stretching desert land, up the various slopes and between rows of pillars, a large castle-like building stood in the distance. "How are we supposed to get there? _Walk_?!"

"I think so," he shrugged, walking forward. The brunette tightened her grip on his arm.

"But I don't want to walk! That's so far!" she exclaimed, the trainer giving a sigh.

"I thought you would say that," he frowned, pulling a pokeball from his pocket as he ignored the girl's glare. He opened the sphere, releasing the psychic-type again. "Sorry, buddy, we've got someone who doesn't like to walk."

"Well, excuse me," she huffed, looking the other way.

"Can you get us up there without getting too tired?" he asked, pointing towards the distant building. The pokemon looked, at first surprised, then nodded and put a hand on each of their shoulders. They disappeared, then re-appeared. The trainer looked around, seeing the building still a fair walking distance away.

_"Lade, gerlade,"_ the pokemon closed its eyes, but Ash put a hand on its shoulder.

"No, it's fine. I don't want you to use too much energy," Ash told it, the pokemon giving a hesitant look. "It's fine, don't worry. Rest up," it nodded, disappearing in the red beam and into the sphere.

"Wait, we still have to walk?"

"Stop complaining," he told her, frowning as he walked towards the building. She tightened her grip on his arm again, the trainer giving a sigh.

"Stop trying to leave me behind, you know I'm going where you are," she puffed her cheeks, looking at him.

"You don't have to go right with me. You're only watching, why did you come this way?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and looking down at her.

"I'm not walking alone, that's depressing. I'd much rather be with you," she smiled, rubbing her cheek against his arm. He sighed, shaking his head slightly as they got closer to the open doorway. "Oh, it's like the one at the plaza. No doors, just an open archway."

"And it only makes you think...Who used to walk through these doors when they were built?" he asked, the brunette frowning.

"Come on, Mr. Thinker. You'll miss the match at this rate," she pulled his arm again, but he slid his arm from her grasp.

"I'll walk in myself, thanks. And I don't want people seeing us like that, it'll give them the wrong idea," he told her, the girl looking hurt.

"You don't want them to think we're dating? Why?" she asked in a hurt tone.

"Don't bother, I just don't want cameras flashing in my face all day," he continued walking, the brunette glaring at him.

"Jerk..." she muttered, following close behind. She hurried in front of him, turning to face him and stopping. "But before you go, I just want you to know something."

"What is it?" he asked, crossing his arms. She smiled, moving forward and wrapping her arms around his neck. Looking surprised, he felt her press her lips against his. Pulling back after a few seconds, she smiled.

"Good luck, don't lose against her," she told him, turning on her heels and hurrying off. He stared in surprise, only shaking his head with a smirk in amusement.

* * *

><p>"Where is he? He's almost late," May stated, worried as she looked at the entrance again.<p>

"Stop worrying, May. He'll be here, there's no way he would miss a battle," Brock told her, Cilan giving a nod.

"Well that kid's gonna be late if he makes us wait any longer, so he better hurry up," Iris crossed her arms with a huff.

"I'm sure he's on his way," Misty replied, patting the girl's shoulder.

"So where do you think he is, then?" Max asked, looking confused. "He can't still be training, he would be psyched and running here by now."

"He has changed, Max, remember?" Cilan told the boy, the younger trainer giving a shrug.

"Hey, there's someone!" Dawn exclaimed, pointing towards the doorway. Everyone looked anticipatingly at the person, seeing it was Leaf. "Oh, wait. It's only Leaf."

"Damn," May muttered, frowning as she crossed her arms.

"I guess she was looking for him," Paul suggested, arms crossed.

"Yeah, I'd bet on that," Hilbert smirked, crossing his arms behind his head.

"When did you get here?" Brendan asked.

"When did you get here? Doesn't it ever seem like everyone just appears together?"

"I guess, but-"

"Hey, guys!" everyone looked at Leaf, who was making her way through the crowd. "Arceus, this is certainly popular...Excuse me, excuse me..."

"Hey, Leaf. Were you looking for Ash?" Max asked, the brunette giving a nod. "Where is he?"

"I was with him, but I ran ahead to find you guys. He'll be here any second," she smiled, sitting on the end beside May.

"Cool, he better hurry though, everyone's starting to get anxious," Zo stated, referring to the muttering and whispering groups around them in the crowd. Leaf nodded, looking down the line of their friends. In the group from her end, it was Leaf, May, Zo, Dawn, Paul, Hilbert, Brendan, Max, Iris, Misty, Brock, Cilan.

"I'm getting tired of waiting, too. I should have just slept today over," Paul sighed, the blunette looking at him with a sly smile.

"But then I wouldn't be able to spend time with you!" she exclaimed, happily grabbing his arm. Giggling to herself, the Sinnoh trainer looking oddly at her.

"Get off me," he tried pulling away, but he couldn't escape her grasp. Giving a sigh, he gave up.

"Aww, you're accepting it!" she laughed, rubbing her cheek against his jacket. He only looked the other way, rubbing the arch between his eyes with another sigh. Hilbert watched with a smirk, the Sinnoh trainer sensing it and punching his arm.

"Hey, there's a shadow in the doorway," Brendan pointed out, looking oddly at the entrance. Everyone around them looked, noticing he was right as they saw a stretching black figure. It gradually stretched further, until they saw a pair of legs connecting to the base of the shadow. As everyone in the stadium now looked at the man standing in the doorway, the entire building was in silence.

"Arceus.../_Kachu..._" the pair muttered, looking surprised at the inside of the building. From the outside it looked huge, but the inside was _enormous_. The battlefield was in the center with two royal pathways leading to the trainer boxes, no ground existing around the edges of the battlefield for several feet. As the ground appeared again a distance away, it rose into two large bleachers on either sides of the field, only able to be reached by the doorways leading to the staircases behind the walls. Across the room from where he stood, Ash saw the very large electronic battle record display board, with various speakers set up around the room, one in each corner. The ceiling had been opened, to maximize potential battle experiences.

"AND IT SEEMS WE HAVE OUR COMPETITORS!" everyone in the stadium jumped at the sudden outbursting voice, followed by a laugh. "THE BATTLE WILL BEGIN SHORTLY, BUT FOR NOW WE WILL TAKE A PRE-BATTLE BREAK. THE TRAINERS WILL BE GIVEN TIME IN THEIR RESPECTIVE WAITING ROOMS FOR PREPARATIONS."

"...I...I just about...Had a heart attack..." Max gasped for air, breathing heavily as he clutched his chest.

"Same..." Iris panted, everyone in the crowd in the same feeling as the pair.

"So they both get time to themselves to prepare, and we have to wait even longer?" Zo asked, giving a sigh. "Man, this is so not cool! Stupid jerk..." she glared down at the trainer, who was walking towards the door to his waiting room. He stopped at the door, turned around and began looking around through the crowds. She watched in confusion as his eyes drifted through the crowd near them, then he looked back and settled on them. She narrowed her eyes, realizing he was looking directly at _her. _She pointed to herself, confused and expecting herself to be imagining things. He nodded, pointing at the ground then behind him at the door, turning around and stepping through the doorway. She blinked in surprise. _"...Did he just...Ask me to come down there...?"_

"Zo? Zo, what's wrong?" May waved her hand in front of the girl, snapping her from thoughts. "You were in a daze."

"Oh, uh...Yeah..." she blinked, looking back down at the doorway. Should she go? What if she was wrong?

"Are you thinking about something?" the brunette asked, Leaf looking concerned as well while the blunette to her opposite side was busy holding herself against Paul. Zo closed her eyes.

"...I'm gonna go get some snacks, I'll be right back," Zo stood, confusing the brunettes as she carefully moved past them and hurried up the stairs leading to the back. They watched her disappear through the doorway and head down the stairs, confused.

"Where did Zo go?" Hilbert asked, looking at the brunettes in question.

"Snacks," they replied, the man looking hurt.

"And she didn't ask for anyone else? Selfish brat!"

* * *

><p>"Come on, Zo...I know you saw me..." Ash muttered, the mouse giving a nod as they both sat on the bench. Ash leaned forward, unclipping the six spheres from his belt and holding them. "...It's been a long journey, you guys..." the mouse tugged his arm, pointing to the doorway. Looking up, he saw it open a crack and a small yellow sphere roll in. Staring oddly at it for a few seconds, it took him some time to realize. "Oh. Zo, thanks for actually coming down here," the sphere turned into a red vortex, then re-appeared as a girl sitting on the floor.<p>

"You better have a good reason for calling me down here. Do you know how hard it was to think of a way to get in here without being seen?" she asked, standing and crossing her arms.

"I'm sure it wasn't too difficult, if you got here in a few minutes. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you before the match," he told her, the girl arching an eyebrow.

"What is it?" she asked, feeling impatient. "If it's a stupid reason for bringing me down here on short notice, I'm gonna kick you."

"I want to make a deal with you."

* * *

><p>"So how much time do they have?" Iris asked, looking oddly at the pair of doors across the stadium from each other.<p>

"I'm sure it's only about five minutes," Brock told her, the girl sighing. He frowned, shaking his head slightly.

* * *

><p>"So how about it?" Ash asked, the girl smirking.<p>

"I'm all for it," she replied, the trainer giving a nod as he clipped his pokeballs back to his belt. "So right after the battle?"

"Yeah, if it's not too much trouble," he told her, the girl shaking her head. "Thanks."

"No problem, as long as I get what you promised me," she looked at him carefully. "No going back on it."

"I promise," he assured her, releasing the psychic-type once again from his sphere. "I really am sorry about having to rely on you, Gallade. I need two more trips."

* * *

><p>"So this is it..." Hilda told herself, smirking as she looked in the mirror on the wall. She saw the flame of determination lit in her own eyes, blazing back at her. "...Today's the day, and I won't accept defeat this time..."<p>

"Well done, Gallade. You actually did it," Hilda jumped, whirling around at the surprise voice. Surprised, she saw Ash with Pikachu on his shoulder, a slightly-annoyed gallade beside him. "Oh, sorry, I knew you could do it. That's what I meant."

"Ash?" she asked, not believing he was right in front of her. He looked at her, giving a smile and a wave.

"Hey, I wanted to talk to you before the match started," he told her, the mouse hopping from his shoulder to the pokemon's. Ash moved towards her, the pokemon staying where they were.

"R-Really?" she asked, the trainer simply giving a nod. She smiled, throwing her arms around him in a surprise hug.

"Whoa, take it easy," he chuckled, looking amused at the girl's head on his shoulder.

"Sorry, I'm just glad you came to see me before we had to battle," she told him, pulling back and smiling. "It means a lot to me."

"I just wanted to say some things, but I'm glad I made you happy," he replied. "Anyway, first off I say good luck."

"May the best win," she added, the pair continuing to smile.

"Of course. Next, no hard feelings from how the battle goes," he stated, the brunette giving a nod.

"Of course, I could never be mad at you anyway," she responded.

"Third, and this is more important," he told her, the girl only smiling while looking expectantly at him. "...I may not be able to make a decision yet, so I can't say exactly how I feel about you back, but I promise I will put that at the top of my priorities after this battle."

"Okay," she giggled. "You know, you've said that plenty of times over the past few days. It's cute," she told him, the trainer shrugging.

"I'm sorry, but I tell what I think. It just doesn't stay the same," he replied, the girl giggling more. He smiled. "And please don't let your emotions get the better of you in this battle."

"Of course not, I would never get distracted from wiping the floor with you," she laughed again, the trainer giving her a strange look.

"...I'm not sure if I should say thanks, or be worried...But whatever," he chuckled, crossing his arms. "Anyway, I should be getting back now. Good luck again."

"Here's my good luck for you," she leaned closer, pressing her lips against his. She pulled back after a few seconds, smiling sweetly. The trainer smiled, turning back to his pokemon. The psychic-type put a hand on his shoulder, the mouse on his own shoulder, and the trio disappeared. Hilda smiled to herself, taking the small microphone from the seat and clipping it to her collar.

* * *

><p>"THE PRE-BATTLE BREAK IS NOW OVER, COULD THE TWO TRAINERS PLEASE TAKE THEIR SPOTS IN THE TRAINER BOXES!" Goodshow announced over the speaker, everyone in the stadium nearly having a heart attack once more.<p>

"Curse that old man..." Hilbert muttered, breathing oddly.

"Look, there they are," May pointed to both sides of the field, where both room doors were opening. Both trainers stepped out, a serious expression on their face as they walked to their boxes.

"Hey, where's Zo?" Leaf asked, looking around oddly.

"Where's the snacks?" Hilbert asked, looking expectantly at the brunette pair.

"ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE THE GIRL FROM THIS VERY OWN LAND OF UNOVA...HIIIILLLDAAA!" the crowd erupted into applause, the girl raising her arm in the air and waving. "AND ON THE LEFT, HAILING FROM THE DISTANT REGION OF KANTO AND HAVING TRAVELED ACROSS THE GLOBE AND RETURNED TO UNOVA FOR ANOTHER ROUND...AAASH!" the crowd erupted into cheer again, the trainer simply his hand with a calm look as the mouse sat quietly on his shoulder. "THIS WILL BE A FULL SIX-ON-SIX BATTLE, JUDGED BY SINGLE MATCHES AND WHEN EITHER SIX POKEMON ARE UNABLE TO BATTLE, THE MATCH WILL BE OVER! I MYSELF WILL BE THE PERSONAL JUDGE FOR THIS BATTLE! TRAINERS, ARE WE READY?" both trainers simply raised their hand in the air, looking down the field at each other with a grin. "THEN BEGIN!"

"Escavalier, up front!" Hilda called, her voice amplified from the small microphone as she tossed her pokeball, releasing the small steel-armored bug with lance arms. Pikachu hopped from Ash's shoulder, standing on the ground beside him as he pulled a sphere from his belt.

"You're up, Froslass!" Ash's voice, amplified as well, introduced the pokemon as it burst from the sphere, taking form floating slightly above the ground.

"Escavalier, Bug Buzz!" the bug extended its lances, a powerful screech coming from its mouth, ringing through the stadium. The ice-type cringed. "Now Iron Head!" the bug's armor flashed silver, charging forward through the air and slamming into the ice-type's chest. It soared back, catching itself in the air with a stumble. "Now Flash Cannon!" the bug released a flashing silver beam, exploding on contact with the opponent and forcing it to collide with the ground. Hilda looked surprised. Why did Ash let his pokemon be hit so easily? Looking at the trainer himself, he only stood calmly with his arms crossed, looking at his pokemon. _"What is he doing?"_

* * *

><p>"What is Ash doing?" May asked, looking oddly at the trainer. "Froslass was just hit with two supereffective moves, those had to do major damage!"<p>

"I'm not sure, but there has to be some strategy behind it," Paul stated, looking carefully at the bug returning to Hilda's side. "...He knows pokemon as well as anyone, and he must be focusing his knowledge on escavalier specifically and thinking of a way to bring down its power and defenses from its powers."

"Why do you make it so complicated?" Max asked, rubbing his forehead.

* * *

><p>"Escavalier, Twineedle!" Hilda commanded, the bug releasing a twin pair of needles formed form energy. Ash stood calmly, however, as they exploded on contact with his ice-type. "X-Scissor!" the bug charged forward, crossing its lances and glowing a blue in shape of an X, pushing the pokemon back through the air into the wall. It quickly returned to Hilda, the ice-type only pushing itself from the wall. It stumbled in the air, its eyes closed. <em>"Why isn't it doing anything?"<em>

_"Scav!"_ the bug turned to its trainer, the girl giving a nod.

"We'll have to work with it. Flash Cannon then Iron Head!" the bug fired another silvery beam and exploded on the ice-type, quickly moving across the field with its armor gleaming as the opponent fell to the ground. It closed in on the pokemon, the crowd watching in shock and anticipation as it was seconds from hitting.

"Blizzard!"

"What?" Hilda was taken back by the command, the bug stopping in the air. The ice-type's eyes opened, flashing a light blue as the air suddenly became frigid. The pokemon rose into the air again, the air swirling around it with a freezing feel to it. The bug backed off, wincing as the wind got in its face past the armor.

"Ice Beam," the ice-type fired a blue beam, quickly striking the unsuspecting bug and freezing it in a block of ice. "Shadow Ball into Ominous Wind," the ice-type threw the purple sphere through the air, extending its arms to the sides and releasing a purple-shaded gust of air from behind it. The air blew past the sphere and struck the ice, shattering it and piercing the bug. The sphere then exploded on its armor, its body falling to the ground.

"Escavalier!" Hilda gasped.

"Shadow Ball," the ice-type extended its arm, a purple sphere forming in its palm and firing at the bug. Exploding on contact, the body only rolled on the floor with its eyes in form of swirls.

"AND IT LOOKS LIKE ESCAVALIER IS UNABLE TO BATTLE! FROSLASS IS THE WINNER!" Goodshow announced, the crowd applauding. Hilda recalled her bug, frowning as she switched it for another.

"...Heatmor, you're up!" Hilda called, tossing the sphere. The flash of light struck the field, forming an ant eater, who snorted a flame from it snout.

"AND HILDA'S SECOND POKEMON IS HEATMOR! EVEN WITH ASH AT A DISADVANTAGE IN TYPE, HE WOULDN'T HAVE GOTTEN TO THE FINALS FOR NOTHING!"

"Heatmor, Flamethrower!" the figure breathed a stream of flames, advancing closely on the ice-type.

"Dodge low to the ground," the ice-type dropped from the air, the flames shooting above it. It picked itself up just before hitting the ground, gliding along towards the fire-type.

"Flame Burst! Bring it down!" the fire-type breathed a short blast of flame, the ice-type moving out of the way. Continuing its smaller flame attacks, its opponent continued avoiding their path.

"Stop short and Ominous Wind," the floating figure suddenly stopped, releasing a strange-empowered gust from behind it, the fire-type wincing as it felt the wind. "Change to Blizzard and Shadow Ball," the wind sudednly became frozen, the fire-type's feet beginning to become part of the ground. It intensified the heat in its body, quickly melting the ice. Ash's pokemon threw a purple sphere, exploding on its chest and sending it tumbling back.

"Heatmor, Flamethrower!" returning to its feet, it fired a stream of flames.

"Shadow Ball," the sphere exploded on the flames, cancelling it. "Ice Beam," the beam of ice hit the pokemon, encasing it in a block. "Ominous Wind into Shadow Ball," repeating its strategy from being used on the bug, the wind shattered the ice and the sphere exploded on the pokemon, sending it rolling away.

"Heatmor, you have to keep going!" Hilda called, watching in shock as her pokemon was beaten around as her previous had been. She looked up at Ash, who's expression showed nothing but seriousness.

"Finish with Shadow Ball," the purple sphere exploded, the pokemon's eyes closing as its head hit the ground again, but not moving afterwards.

"AND HEATMOR IS DOWN AS WELL! WITH TWO TYPE DISADVANTAGES IN A ROW, ASH'S FROSLASS MUST HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO THE EXTREME!" Goodshow announced as the crowd cheered, the brunette recalling her pokemon.

_"Froslass was friendly with me whenever we were together, and I know how she was trained...She really is powerful, but I'm taking it for granted and being reckless..."_ Hilda thought, frowning as she clipped the pokeball back to her belt. However, her hand didn't move for another.

"HMM, WHAT'S THIS? HILDA HASN'T SENT OUT ANOTHER POKEMON," everyone was confused at Goodshow's statement, surprised to see Hilda not moving for another sphere.

"No...She can't be...She promised she..." Ash stopped, however, looking down the field as he saw her expression. He frowned, feeling concern. "...She wouldn't..."

_"...Can I really do this...?"_ she asked herself, clutching her eyes shut and tilting her head slightly. At her sides, her hands clenched to fists.

**END**

**How will Hilda recover?  
>What can Ash do to help?<br>How will the remainder of the match play out?  
>What did Zo promise to do in return of something?<strong>


	55. Chapter 55

**Hurrying, trying not to rush it though.**

"HILDA, WE MUST ASK THAT YOU SEND OUT YOUR NEXT POKEMON," Goodshow stated, the brunette snapping her eyes open. She looked across the field, Froslass and Ash looking back at her with a nod. Hesitating, she nodded and grabbed another sphere from her belt.

"Mandibuzz!" she tossed the sphere, releasing the vulture.

* * *

><p>"Why would she send out a flying-type? Now she's at the disadvantage!" Max exclaimed, looking oddly at the bird.<p>

"Keep quiet, Max. I'm sure she's planning something," May assured the boy, smiling. "Right, Hilbert?" she turned to the man, who was in thought.

"Huh? Oh, of course, you know her," he flashed a reassuring smile, the sibling pair giving a nod with smiles. Hilbert looked back at the field, his smile turning to a frown. _"But Hilda would never do this badly against Ash...There's something affecting her battle style..."_

* * *

><p>"Mandibuzz, Air Slash!" the bird drew its wings back, a strange center of gravity forming between them and gathering the air around it.<p>

"Ice Beam directly on the attack," the ice-type extended its palm, firing a frozen beam at the oncoming attack. Quickly striking the attack, it burst and released a wave of frigid air around it, affecting the bird. "Now Shadow Ball," the purple ball shot through the air, exploding on the bird.

"Mandibuzz!" Hilda exclaimed in worry, but saw her bird was fine. _"Wait, it didn't hurt?"_

"Come on, Hilda, you know I wouldn't use an attack with no effect without a reason..." Ash muttered, a fist clenching at his side.

_"Right, ghost-type moves don't really affect a dark-type like Mandibuzz...So why did he use it? There's no way he would forget something like that,"_ Hilda thought, confused as she looked at the trainer opposing her.

"Ominous Wind," the ice-type released a purple-shaded gust of air, sweeping past the bird but didn't show any effect.

_"He did it again...But why...?"_ she thought, looking at the scoreboard to the side. Shesaw two of her three pokemon were blacked out, while three still remained unknown. _"...That has to be it..."_

"Now Blizzard," the ice-type released a frozen wind across the field.

"Fly!" the bird extended its wings, quickly taking into the air above the attack. _"He knows I'm not battling like I normally would..."_

"Ice Beam."

"Circle around it and close in!" the bird flipped in the air, narrowly avoiding the attack and gliding along the side of it towards the opponent. _"He's trying to get me back to normal!"_

"Double Shadow Ball, we'll need power to bring it to the ground," the ice-type extended its arms, a purple sphere forming in each palm. As time slowly passed, the spheres glowed darkly and grew in size.

"Throw a Bone Rush!" a strange blue-glowing bone materialized in its wing, the bird throwing it effectively at the ice-type. The center of the bone struck its chest, sending it dragging across the floor with a grunt as both ends of the bone struck into the spheres, exploding them in the ice-type's hands.

"Froslass!" Ash gasped, shocked as his pokemon was nearly brought down with one action. The graceful figure winced, pressing its palms against the ground as the bone disappeared.

_"Well congratulations, Ash...You brought me back!"_ Hilda thought with a grin, pointing her finger out. "Dark Pulse!"

"Shadow Ball with follow-up," the ice-type fired a purple sphere at the oncoming chain attack, exploding on contact. The bird watched carefully as the smoke began to clear, surprised to see its opponent charging another attack. The frigid beam struck its wing, falling to the ground. "Blizzard," the frozen wind blew over the bird, the ice formed over its wing beginning to spread.

"Mandibuzz, Bone Rush with your other wing!" the bird lifted its free wing into the air, a blue bone appearing.

"Ice Beam," the ice-type fired an icy ray, but the bird quickly shattered the ice on its wing and took into the air, a set of frozen spikes rising where it once was.

"Keep high in the air!" the bird continued to ascend into the air, the ice-type and its trainer's eyes following it carefully.

"Froslass, to the center of the field," the ice-type slowly floated towards the center of the field, the mouse standing beside Ash moving behind his legs.

What is he doing...?" Hilda asked herself, the bird looking down on confusion at its opponent.

"Spin," the pokemon simply began to spin in the air, everyone watching now confused.

"Is he serious...?" Hilda didn't know whether to take it seriously or not, looking up at her bird. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the ice-type was directly below her pokemon.

"Now Blizzard!"

_"Frooooooooss!" _the pokemon chanted in a melodious tone, a frozen wind suddenly bursting from behind it. But due to it spinning, the air released in each direction, quickly forming a cyclone-like form of frozen air. The bird looked shocked as the attack quickly rose in the air, surrounding it.

"Mandibuzz!" Hilda exclaimed, her eyes widening as she watched her pokemon disappear. Within the attack, the bird flapped its wings closer to its body, trying to keep its distance from the frozen air circling around it.

"Now Shadow Ball, followed by Ice Beam directly above," the elegant pokemon threw a purple sphere into the air above it, firing a beam of ice after it. The ice struck the sphere, freezing the bottom of it and giving it a light-blue glow as it propelled it through the air. The bird's eyes widened, unable to evade the attack as it watched it crash into its stomach, exploding and feeling the pain from the ice afterwards. "Cut off," the ice-type stopped, the cyclone disappearing and revealing the bird falling from a cloud of smoke. Its body crashed into the ground, its head weakly raising.

"Mandibuzz! Return!" Hilda recalled the pokemon into the sphere, giving a sigh of relief. She looked at the ice-type with a frown, who returned to her place by Ash.

"How badly was that Bone Rush, Froslass?" Ash asked, the ice-type looking at him with a shake of her head. "Are you sure?" she nodded, the trainer giving a nod back. Hilda moved her hand over another sphere, pressing the button and enlargening it.

"Emboar!" the sphere burst open in the air, Ash and Hilbert were surprised to see her strongest fire-type partner.

* * *

><p>"What? She's using her starter already?" May gasped.<p>

"She must _really_ want to beat Froslass," Paul stated, the blunette rubbing her cheek against his arm again. He sighed.

_"But I get the feeling that's not it...She wouldn't use Emboar this early without something behind it..."_ Hilbert thought, looking curiously at Hilda. _"...She must be hiding some kind of surprise power for the right moment..."_

* * *

><p>"Is she serious right now? She's already using Emboar?" Ash asked, blinking in surprise at the fire-type.<p>

"Flamethrower!" the Unova starter released a searing flame, the ice-type extending its arms to the side in defense.

"No, Froslass, dodge!" the ice-type quickly floated upward, the raven-haired trainer stepping to the side with the mouse. The flames shot past, striking the wall and leaving a deep charred mark. Ash sighed in relief, the ice-type looking at him curiously. "There's no way we'll be able to fight Emboar's flames, even I admit they're too powerful. We'll have to rely on speed and limiting its mobility," the figure nodded, turning away from him again.

"Get in close for Fire Punch!" the starter's flame lit ablaze, moving across the field at its fastest, but that wasn't very fast at all.

"Ice Beam on the ground," the ice-type fired the beam at the ground, a layer of ice forming over the field and spreading under the fire-type's feet. Surprised, it slipped and fell, leaving cracks in the ice as it slid toward its opponent. "Consecutive Shadow Ball," the ice-type extended both palms, forming two spheres at a time and firing them quickly. Two after the others, they exploded on the large pokemon's body, grunting in pain.

"Flamethrower!" the fire-type looked ahead, firing a searing flame. Its body stopped at the power released from the front, pushing it back across the ice.

"Froslass, Ominous Wind," the figure released a purple-shaded gust of air across the field, pushing the fire-type further back but with the pain.

_"Fros!"_ the ice-type looked back at Ash, pumping its fist.

"So it worked? Alright, this will help," Ash smirked, the ice-type giving a nod as it face back to its opponent.

"Emboar, I thought of something," the fire-type looked back at its trainer, who was smirking. "If you hear him call Ice Beam again, drop to the ground on purpose before you slip and hurt yourself. Try and slide as fast as you can, I've got something," the pokemon nodded, facing back to its opponent.

"Blizzard," the frozen wind blew across the field, the fire-type bringing its fists up.

"Fire Punch and push through!" its flames lit on fire, running through the wind while protecting its face. However, it was going slower than before.

"Ice Beam on the ground again," the ice-type fired the attack at the ground, another layer of ice spreading across the field. The fire-type noticing this, it dived forward onto its stomach, sliding across the ice at a high speed.

"Wait..." Hilda whispered, watching her pokemon get closer.

"...She would've called it to slow down by now, she's planning something," Ash muttered, the ice-type giving a nod as it stood weary in alert. Hilda continued to watch her pokemon slide closer, until it was just a few feet away.

"Flare Blitz!" the fire-type suddenly lit up in a powerful blue flame, pushing its fists off the ground and launching itself at the ice-type.

"Dodge," the figure floated out of the way, faster than anyone had seen it dodge before, quickly moving to the center of the battlefield. "Double Shadow Ball followed with Ominous Wind," the ice-type threw two purple spheres, releasinga powerful gust of strange power pushing the twin spheres through the air faster. The fire-type crashed into the back wall, cutting off the flames. Touching its feet on the ground again, it turned and saw the attacks headed straight for it, both exploding on its chest. It grunted, stumbling and catching itself.

"Emboar!" Hilda called, worried for her partner. Ash looked at Hilda, then back at the fire-type. He turned to his ice-type, giving a nod.

"Return," he took the sphere from his pocket, holding it out and recalling the elegant figure in the red beam. The crowd muttered in confusion and surprise as Ash swapped the sphere for another on his belt.

_"Pikapi?"_ the mouse asked.

"I could see it clear as day, Pi. Froslass was at a disadvantage, and Shadow Ball and Ominous Wind alone weren't going anywhere, even with Froslass' stats getting boosted from Ominous Wind," he explained, the mouse giving a nod. "And with her bringing Emboar out this early, she must be hiding something. We have to bring that out if we'll have a chance," the trainer looked at the sphere in his hand, smirking as he tossed it in the air. It burst open, revealing a skinny figure standing on two feet, arms crossed with blades extended from its elbows.

"Gallade?" Hilda asked in surprise, getting a bad feeling. "Oh, no..."

"We'll let them have first move, Gallade," Ash stated, crossing his arms with the pokemon giving a simple nod. Hilda stared at the pokemon.

_"This is bad...Gallade is super fast, he'll bring Emboar down in a matter of minutes even with our defense! I can't let that happen,"_ Hilda frowned, recalling her starter pokemon and switching the sphere with another. She looked at the sphere for a few moments, frowning. _"...So much for a surprise..." _she tossed the sphere into the air, bursting in a flash of light and striking the field. Everyone watched in curiosity as it took form of a fairly big mongoose, one long whisker on each cheek with its arms resembling excessively-long sleeves as they drooped down at the ends. It stood on two small feet, with a long tail extruding from its back.

"A mienshao?" Ash asked, surprised.

* * *

><p>"Cool! Hilbert, where did Hilda manage to get a mienshao?" Leaf asked, looking at the man. However, he only stared at the pokemon in surprise. "...Hilbert? Did she catch it as a mienfoo and raise it?"<p>

"...I'm not sure," he replied, not taking his eyes off the pokemon.

"What do you mean?" May asked, Leaf nodding with the question. Hilbert looked at them, for once not understanding something about Hilda's battle.

"...I never knew she had a mienshao."

* * *

><p>"When did she get a mienshao, Pi?" Ash asked, still looking at the pokemon in surprise. The mouse shook his head, unable to look away either.<p>

"Mienshao, Force Palm!" the pokemon lowered its head, the crowd gasping as the figure suddenly sprinted across the field faster than their eyes could follow, holding its palm out against the psychic-type. Its eyes widened in surprise as the palm glowed blue, a sudden powerful blast emitting from it and forcing it backwards. The human figure caught itself in the air, landing safely.

"Gallade, you okay?" the pokemon nodded, shaking its head from the daze and looking back at the opponent. _"This is bad...It's fast, and I never knew she caught a mienshao...I don't know how they battle together..."_

"Aura Sphere!" the fighting-type threw a blue pulsing sphere at the psychic-type, exploding on its arms crossed over in front.

"Use Night Slash," the psychic-type's blades glowed a deep black, but was surprised to see its opponent burst through the smoke, spinning its body and delivering a devastating kick to its chest. It choked from the sudden blow, the power throwing it into the back wall past Ash, releasing a cloud of debris as it became implanted in a crater in the wall. "Gallade!" he spun around, eyes wide. The psychic-type pushed itself from the wall, shaking its head as it returned to the battlefield. "I'm sorry, Gallade, I've never seen her battle with mienshao before. I don't have a defense against it, we'll have to improvise."

_"Lade,"_ the pokemon nodded, slashing its blades through the air and standing in an offensive stance.

"Bring it on, Ash..." Hilda smirked, her pokemon grinning and flicking its fingers back at the psychic-type, signalling for it to attack.

"Night Slash," its blades glowed, dashing across the field and slashing at the pokemon. It was surprisingly evasive, however, avoiding each strike with ease. " Back up and use Psychic," the pokemon backflipped away from its opponent, flipping in the air. Hilda and Mienshao smirked.

"Hi Jump Kick!" the figure suddenly burst into the air, its knee glowing a deep red as it spun around, catching the psychic-type offguard as it slammed its knee into its chest again, forcefully sending it back at the ground. It managed to barely catch itself, its feet hitting the ground and sliding back across the field. Wincing, however, its left leg gave way and it fell, tumbling back towards Ash.

"Gallade!" Ash exclaimed, watching his pokemon stop rolling. It punched its fist into the ground, pushing itself to its knees. Ash noticed the psychic-type bearing his teeth in the corner of his mouth, managing to get to its feet again. It extended its arm out with a glare, swinging it to the side and slicing the blade through the air. "Gallade, you've got to stay calm. We don't know what else it can do, so we can't be hasty."

_"Erlade, gal,"_ the pokemon grunted, Ash giving the psychic-type a worried look. He noticed the psychic-type was leaning more towards one side, giving less pressure on its left leg. Across the field, Hilda noticed this too.

"...Just don't let your rage blind you. Psychic," the psychic-type looked at the figure, its eyes flashing blue and a blue outline appearing around mienshao.

"Gallade's most classical trick, and the easiest to see through," Hilda grinned, the psychic-type dashing forward.

"Leaf Blade," its blades glowed a vibrant green, extending slightly as it jumped into the air.

"Aura Sphere!" the sphere formed in the fighting-type's palm, bursting forward towards the airborne foe.

"Slash through it!" Ash shouted, the human figure cutting the sphere in half and exploding it. Mienshao glanced back at its trainer, Hilda giving a nod. It nodded back, looking forward at the smoke expectantly. Ash looked carefully at the fighting-type, but his eyes widened as he noticed something. Its knee began glowing red. "No! Gallade, stop!"

_"Erlade!"_ the human figure shouted, bursting through the smoke and swinging its blades down towards the fighting-type. However, it spun on its heels, swinging its knee around and delivering another devastating blow on the psychic-type. It choked, eyes wide as it felt the humiliating pain once more. A pulse of air emitted from the impact, the psychic-type being thrown backwards again. It tried to land its feet on the ground, but its leg gave way again. It closed its eyes, letting its body tumble across the field in humility and slide towards Ash, stopping a few inches from his feet.

"Gallade...No...This can't be..." Ash's eyes remained wide, only staring at the injured pokemon in shock. Gallade opened its eyes, looking at Ash with a frown. He closed his eyes again, wincing as he pushed his palm against the ground and began to lift himself. "No, stop. Please," Gallade opened his eyes in surprise, looking at the trainer. Ash chuckled, smiling weakly as he crouched beside the psychic-type, putting his hand on his shoulder. "I don't want to see you get hurt anymore," the psychic-type stared at him in surprise and disbelief. His trainer was asking him to give up? Gallade looked back across the field, the opposing fighting-type taunting him and gesturing to attack once more. He looked back at Ash, hesitating.

_"...Lade,"_ Ash smiled relievingly, the pokemon closing its eyes and putting its head back down.

"AND ASH'S GALLADE IS DOWN! WITH FROSLASS BRINGING ASH TO A QUICK LEAD, HILDA'S CHANGE OF POKEMON HAD FORCED HIM TO CREATE ANOTHER SCENARIO TO WHICH SHE COULD USE AS HER OWN ADVANTAGE!" Goodshow announced, the crowd applauding excitedly. Ash recalled the psychic-type, smiling at the sphere before returning it to his belt.

_"Mienshao's got major speed, and his power is nothing to mess with either...We can't get too close without a plan, or that Hi Jump Kick will ruin us..."_ he thought, staring at the intimidating fighting-type. Then it suddenly hit him. _"Wait...If it's the one move giving us trouble..."_

* * *

><p>"Wow, Mienshao really took down Gallade easily..." May said in disbelief.<p>

"Yeah, I can't believe one of Ash's pokemon went down without causing any damage," Leaf added, the brunettes blinking in surprise. Hilbert frowned, looking at Ash.

"Come on, Ash...You can find a way to fight it..." he muttered, the brunettes looking at him.

"Who are you talking to?" they asked, the man looking at them in surprise.

"Huh? No one, why do you care?" he asked defensively, the brunettes looking at each other with a smile before looking back at the battlefield. Hilbert sighed quietly, looking over at Hilda and Mienshao.

"What else do you have up your sleeve...?"

* * *

><p><em>"There is a way we can fight it...But it might be too risky, I'm not positive that luck is on our side...And we'll need as much of that as we can get..."<em> he thought, frowning as he stared at the fighting-type, his hand hovering over a sphere. He sighed quietly, his hand taking it and tossing it into the air. The light formed the graceful floating ice-type from earlier, taking a careful look at its new opponent. _"Please, luck...Be on our side..."_

"Force Palm!" the fighting-type quickly moved across the field, the ice-type blinking in surprise.

"Dodge," the ice-type quickly hovered away, the fighting-type following after it. It pressed its palm against the ghost-like figure, a blue light flashing from its palm and forcing the ice-type backwards in the air, catching itself before touching the ground. "Are you okay, Froslass?" the ice-type nodded, smiling back at Ash as she returned to her position by him. "Mienshao is a lot stronger than it looks, it managed to beat Gallade," her eyes widened, looking back at her opponent with angry eyes. Suddenly, she cringed as sparks visibly coursed through her body. "Paralysis? Not now...We need luck, not downfalls..."

"They're paralyzed, Mienshao. Think you can finish it with a Hi Jump Kick?" the fighting-type looked back at her, grinning with a nod. "Then do it," the pokemon extended its arms to the sides, dashing forward focusing its power in its knee.

"Froslass, you have to move. If you're hit by that move, you're done, it took out Gallade in only a few hits!" Ash told her, the ice-type forcing its teeth together as it felt the sparks course through its nerves. Watching the fighting-type draw closer, and her trainer's words about Gallade's defeat echoing through her head, her anger continued to build inside her. Her eyes winced shut.

"Finish it!" Hilda shouted, the fighting-type swinging its body.

"Froslass, please!" Ash closed his eyes and looked away, surprising Hilda. With the sparks suddenly disappearing from her system, the ice-type's eyes snapped open. She lifted an arm, the fighting-type delivering its attack. Ash looked again as the crowd gasped as the knee crashed into the ice-type's palm, stopping it completely!

"What?!" Hilda gasped, staring in shock.

"Froslass...! Throw it down and use Ice Beam!" the ice-type glared at the fighting-type, swinging it around and crashing it onto the ground. It fired a beam of ice at the figure, freezing its legs in a block to the ground.

"Mienshao, Force Palm on the ice!" the figure held its palm against the block, focusing its power.

"Shadow Ball, then Blizzard!" before its opponent could free itself, the ice-type fired a purple sphere and shattered the ice with the unexpected explosion on its body, a powerful gust of frigid wind following it. The fighting-type winced, turning to the side and bringing its arm over its head to protect itself from the cold. "Ice Beam again!" the ice-type fired another beam of ice, freezing the body up to its neck leaving only its head unfrozen.

"Mienshao! You have to break out!" Hilda called out, the fighting-type clearly struggling as its expressions began changing.

_"Please let this work..."_ "Push a Shadow Ball to its chest!" the ice-type formed a purple sphere in its palm, hovering over the field towards the frozen opponent. She glared at the pokemon as she went, the anger in her mind building and forming in the sphere, increasing its size. As it came only a few feet away, she brought her arm back and prepared to throw her palm forward.

"Hi Jump Kick!" the fighting-type grinned, a small gleam in its eye as the ice suddenly shattered around it, surprising the ice-type. Its body spun quickly, its knee forcefully shoved into the elegant pokemon's chest.

"No! Froslass!" Ash shouted in horror, watching the near-fatal attack strike his pokemon. She coughed, forced through the air and crashing into the wall behind the trainer. He looked back in shock, eyes wide again as he saw the ice-type fall from the crater in the wall, eyes closed.

"AND FROSLASS IS DOWN AS WELL! WITH ASH'S FROSLASS TAKING OUT TWO OF HILDA'S POKEMON, SHE ONLY RETURNED THE FAVOR WITH MIENSHAO'S POWER!" Goodshow announced over the cheering, Ash recalling the ice-type with a frown. He looked at the sphere with a smile.

"You made me proud, Froslass..." he whispered, placing the sphere back on his belt. Suddenly a beam of blue flashed from his belt onto the field, taking form as a blue canine on its hind legs. "Lucario?"

_"Rah!"_ the canine brought its right leg back, holding its left palm straight out and its right palm out but keeping its elbow at its side. Ash looked at the pokemon in surprise, then understood.

"You sensed that Froslass was beat...Now you want to avenge her, don't you?" he asked, the canine glancing back with a nod. Ash smirked. "...Alright, then. Let's get revenge for Gallade and Froslass, and make them proud!"

_"Raah!"_ the pokemon shouted with more enthusiasm, its palms glowing a mystical blue as aura leaked off them. The crowd erupted into cheer, awaiting the intense battle.

"So Lucario wants to get revenge for those two...As expected, but now fighting-type moves have more effect because Lucario's part steel-type," Hilda smirked, the fighting-type waiting for its command.

"Alright, Lucario! Aura Sphere!" the canine formed a blue sphere between its palms, throwing it across the field.

"Counter it!" the fighting-type threw its own sphere, both exploding at the field's center. "Force Palm!"

"Bone Rush," Lucario watched its opponent sprint towards it, forming a glowing bone in its palm. It spun it around, swinging it at the oncoming palm, deflecting it. Spinning it around again, it struck the fighting-type in the chin from a direct uppercut, flipping it back in the air. "Now send it back!" the canine jumped after it, swinging the bone with a powerful blow to the opponent's side, sending it darting back towards Hilda.

"Mienshao!" Hilda called, worried as her pokemon barely caught itself before hitting the ground. "Aura Sphere, then go back with Force Palm!" the fighting-type shook its head, dashing forward after throwing a blue sphere.

"Ready Bone Rush!" the dog nodded, watching it draw closer. Slashing through the sphere, it began swinging the bone again at the opposing pokemon, ducking and avoiding the narrow swings. However, it couldn't get past the bone close enough to get an attack in. Repeating its actions, it swung the bone upward and struck its jaw, sending it into the air with more force. "Send it back again!" the canine jumped into the air, bringing the bone back.

"Block it!" the fighting-type held its arms out to the side where it would receive the impact as before, but it never came.

"Blaze Kick!" the bone disappeared from its hand, the canine's foot lighting ablaze. The fighting-type's eyes widened in surprise as the foot came around and struck its side, wincing with a grunt.

"Hi Jump Kick!" the canine's body was too far for it to grab, so it endured the pain as it grabbed its flaming foot. Swinging its own body in the air, it delivered a powerful blow to the opponent's stomach. Lucario coughed, soaring through the air as the fighting-type only fell. Managing to catch itself just before collision, the fighting-type watched its opponent land on its feet, sliding back on the ground without collapsing. As a sudden pain formed on its body, it moved its hand to its side and looked to see a burn mark.

"Go back in with Bone Rush," the canine nodded, dashing forward with its arms extended to the sides.

"Consecutive Aura Sphere!" the fighting-type fired an array of blue sphere, but the canine's glowing bone made quick work of them. "Force Palm!" the fighting-type pushed its palm forward, but the canine ducked and rolled to the side, quickly swinging the bone down on its back. Hilda's pokemon shouted in pain, collapsing to its knees from the sudden strike.

"Now Metal Claw!" the canine's paws glowed, three silver claws extending from both, rapidly slashing across its opponent's back.

"Reversal!" Hilda called, the fighting-type's body starting to glow red. It grinned, putting its hands against the ground and stretching its legs behind it. Feeling the pair of feet pressed against its chest, Lucario choked as it was sent flying backwards and crashing into the wall in an explosion of debris.

"Lucario!" Ash shouted, surprised at the sudden attack.

* * *

><p>"Awesome!" Max exclaimed, beaming at the event.<p>

"Max, don't be rude!" May whispered harshly, the boy cringing.

"But that was a really powerful move. That looked even stronger than Hi Jump Kick," Iris stated, eyes gleaming as she looked at the fighting-type.

"Reversal is a move that has more power when the user is weaker," Brendan told the girl.

"And that means Mienshao must be going down soon. And after that attack, I'm sure Lucario will be as well," Paul added, the blunette only rubbing her cheek against his arm in agreement.

* * *

><p><em>"I didn't think Reversal was going to be that strong...That means he's almost at his limit..." <em>Hilda thought, biting her lip as she looked at her pokemon. _"We'll have to finish it quickly. If we can manage that, Mienshao can at least have a rest at the half-time break."_

"She'll be trying to beat us in as few moves as possible, Pi. I can tell she knows from that move that Mienshao is almost ready to collapse, so she doesn't want to draw it out," Ash explained, the mouse giving a nod. Ash watched Lucario jump from behind Hilda to the halfline, then to Ash's side again. "We have to end this. I understand if you're tired, and I know that kick of his is dangerous and painful, but we have no choice but to rush," the canine nodded, facing its opponent again.

"Aura Sphere, followed with Bone Rush," the canine fired a blue sphere, then dashed forward after it.

"Force Palm and take it down!" it held its palm up, focusing the power within it. Releasing that power, it fired a glowing blue flash forward that burst through the sphere and exploded it, the canine moving to the side and dodging it. A glowing bone materializing in its palm, it burst through the small layer of smoke and struck down on the fighting-type, crashing into its head and forcing it to its chest. "Blaze Kick!" the fighting-type held onto its arm, swinging backwards in the air and bringing down its flaming foot into its back. It shouted in pain, baring its teeth.

"Force Palm straight up!" the fighting-type winced, holding the back of its hand against the ground and aiming its palm upward. Focusing its power, it released it in another blue flash, startling the canine as it exploded on its chest.

"One last Blaze Kick!" the canine jumped back, its foot lighting in flames.

"Give it one last Hi Jump Kick!" the fighting-type got to its feet, its knee beginning to glow a deep red. Both took a small leap backwards, then burst forward into the air. They glared at each other on the way towards each other, then both swung their body in the air and delivered their attacks, Lucario's kick hitting Mienshao's back and Mienshao's knee hitting Lucario's chest. Both coughed, the air blasting between them and forcing them both shooting through the air, crashing into the walls behind the trainers.

"Mienshao!/Lucario!" both trainer exclaimed, eyes wide as they turned around and watched their pokemon hit the ground with their eyes closed. Both Ash and Hilda rushed to their sides, crouching beside them in concern.

"AND IT LOOKS LIKE A DOUBLE KNOCKOUT! WITH THREE POKEMON DEFEATED ON NOT ONE BUT _BOTH_ SIDES, WE WILL HAVE A QUICK BREAK FOR THE TRAINERS TO UPDATE THEIR STRATEGIES," Goodshow announced, the crowd erupting into cheer.

"Thank you, Mienshao, you were amazing as always," Hilda smiled, recalling the fighting-type.

"Thank you, Lucario. You never cease to make me proud," Ash smiled, the canine disappearing in the red light. Both trainers clipped the sphere to their belts, walking into their separate rooms.

* * *

><p>"Wow, that mienshao was really something..." May stated, looking at the brunette beside her.<p>

"Yeah, tell me about it. And you never knew about it until now, Hilbert?" she asked, looking at the man. He nodded, crossing his arms.

"I guess she's been keeping it a secret from Ash so he never thought out a strategy against it, but I don't know why she wouldn't tell me, for however long she's had it," he trailed off into thought, the brunettes looking at each other.

"You and Ash talk all the time, and you crack under pressure when he wants something from you. That's why she never told you," Leaf told him, the man looking confused.

"What? I don't give in to him," he replied, the girls giggling together.

"You hide in fear when he even mentions Charizard."

"That guy is terrifying, and that is a threat to human health."

"Who cares?"

"I care! I don't want to die yet!"

"Hey, anyone want to get some snacks?" Dawn suddenly asked, her head lifting from the Sinnoh trainer's arm. He sighed quietly in relief.

"Heck yeah!" Hilbert jumped up, his face lighting up. "I don't know why Zo never came back with snacks, so I've been wanting something to eat since the battle started!"

"Speaking of which, where did Zo go?" May asked, looking oddly at the man.

"I'm sure she's hanging around somewhere, I don't think she would miss a match between Ash and Hilda, she always finds amusement in fights between me, Hilda and Ash," Hilbert shrugged, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Well, anyone else want something to eat?" the blunette asked, releasing the trainer from her grip and standing up.

"No, go right ahead with Hilbert," Paul waved her off, the girl puffing her cheeks in frustration.

"You're coming with me!" she grabbed his hand, yanking him to his feet. The trainer frowned from the surprise, being dragged past the row of seats and to the staircase leading to the back. Hilbert looked offended as they moved right past him, following them.

"Are you sure you don't want anything, May?" Brendan asked, looking curiously at the brunette. "From what I remember, you always loved to eat."

"Hey! Are you calling me fat?" she askd threataeningly, pinching his cheek and pulling it.

"Heyheyhey! Stop that!" he yelped, wincing from the pain. The brunette smiled sweetly, the trainer giving a sigh and closing his eyes.

"Jeez, they're just as lovey-dovey as Ash and Leaf..." Max sighed, shaking his head while rubbing the arch between his eyes.

"You said it, kid," Iris nodded, the boy looking at her annoyed.

"Who are you calling a kid?" he asked defensively, the girl smirking.

"Who's the only kid here?"

"I only see you!"

"What did you just say?"

"And then there's these two..." Brock muttered, the connoisseur nodding in agreement with a smile.

"We certainly do have a unique flavor within our group," he added, the two men nodding with agreement.

* * *

><p>"Don't worry about me, you two, I caught up," Hilbert said sarcastically, now walking beside Paul, the blunette latched onto the arm on the Sinnoh trainer's opposite side.<p>

"If you want to be useful, get this girl off of me," Paul replied, frowning. Hilbert smirked.

"Nah, I won't get between lovers," he crossed his arms behind his head, smirking as he began to walk faster.

"Thank you!" Dawn responded happily, tightening her grip on the man's arm.

"Dammit, you coward..." he muttered angrily, glaring at the man as he disappeared through the doorway. Hearing the footsteps grow quicker, he realized Hilbert had ran down the stairs and away from them. "Can you at least let go of me for a few minutes?"

"Okay," she replied cheerfully, the trainer waiting for a few moments.

"...Are you _going_ to?" he asked, the blunette looking up at him.

"In return for a promise," she poked her tongue out playfully, the trainer giving a sigh.

"What do you want?" he asked, annoyed.

"I only want you to stay still for a few seconds, just don't move," she smiled, the trainer arching an eyebrow in interest.

"As long as it's not to take my measurements for crappy clothing, then fine," he sighed again as the girl squealed happily, releasing his arm. He rubbed his hand, looking at it in concern before looking at the blunette oddly. "So why do you want me to do this, anyway?" she smiled sweetly, moving closer to him.

"It's simple," pressing her palms against his chest, she pressed her lips to his. Beyond shocked, his cheeks burned red. The blunette continued the kiss for longer than Paul had expected, pulling back giggling to herself.

"...What the hell was that for?" he asked, still in a daze. She smiled, wrapping her arms around him and moving her mouth close to his ear.

"Didn't I already say that I love you?" she whispered alluringly, pulling away slowly. Paul was frozen, his body and voice unable to react, as the blunette only giggled playfully to herself and hurried down the staircase.

"...Why me...?"

* * *

><p>"I gotta admit, Pi...She actually took me by surprise with Mienshao..." Ash smirked, the mouse giving a nod. "If she was hiding that, judging by how well it moved and its power, those two have been together a long time. Who knows what other surprises she has..." he trailed off, the mouse giving another nod.<p>

_"Chupi ka, pichu pi,"_ the mouse thrusted a fist outward, the trainer looking at the mouse.

"One thing's for sure, we'll have to expect anything," smirking, the pair nodded.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, Mienshao, I didn't think Lucario would get that determined," Hilda frowned, looking at the pokeball of her defeated pokemon. "But I suppose we did defeat Gallade and Froslass, two of Ash's powerful pokemon and Lucario's friends. It's only natural..." she closed her eyes, clipping the sphere back to her belt.<p>

Her hand hovering, she unclipped two more spheres and held them in her hands. She opened her eyes and looked down at then, her lips spreading into a grin. "But we'll show him. He may know how your power and how you fight, Emboar, but Ash will have more difficulty with you than he did with Mienshao," she looked at the opposite sphere of her starter's, smirking.

* * *

><p>"So how long does this go, anyway? I'm sure they're just talking to themselves," Max sighed, his cheek falling against his fist.<p>

"Be patient, Max, I'm sure it will start again soon," May told the boy, giving him a smile. Brendan smirked.

"Then again, May's had a tendency of being wrong. A _lot_."

"What was that?!"

"Ow, ow! Gah! Let go of me!"

"Apologize!"

"Am I the only one who realizes those two are even more childish than Dawn?" Iris sighed, frowning as she shook her head while watching the brunette pull her childhood friend's cheeks.

"As hard as it is to believe, they sure are," Max sighed in agreement, frowning. "Hey, lovebirds! Get a room!"

"What?" Brendan asked, suddenly looking at him in surprise.

"Shut up, Max!" his sister hissed, glaring at him.

"Just give it a rest already!" he snapped, surprising the childhood pair. "You two are like children again! May, just let the guy go and tell him you had a crush on him already!"

"W-What are you talking about?" she stuttered, her cheeks suddenly turning pink.

"Oh, 'cause the cheeks don't say everything right now," he sighed, adjusting his glasses slightly. "You liked him, I can tell he likes you, just take it outside and get it over with. We're tired of watching you two flirt continuously."

"Who ever said I had a crush on _him_? _Him,_ of all people!" she exclaimed, the Hoenn trainer looking at her feeling slightly hurt.

"Ever since you've given up on Ash, I heard you were nothing but depressed. Then when you talked to Brendan, you've started flirting nonstop with him," the boy explained, shaking his head slightly. "I didn't think you would move on from Ash so quickly, but your weird antics still surprise me."

"Who told you that?" she asked, confused. Suddenly realizing, she turned around and glared at the brunette sitting beside her. Leaf laughed nervously.

"...I may have met up with Max before the match..."

"Traitor!"

"COULD I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE!" everyone jumped, nearly falling out of their seats from Goodshow's sudden announcement. "I INFORM YOU THAT THE MATCH WILL RESUME VERY SOON. TRAINERS, YOU MUST BE ON THE FIELD WITHIN TWO MINUTES."

* * *

><p>"Two minutes? Well, I guess I'm ready, so I may as well just head out now," Hilda told herself, standing from the bench. Moving to the door, her hand rested on the handle, but stopped. "...I can do this...No matter what, I'll beat Ash...And I can't go easy on him..."<p>

She took a breath, then opened the door and stepped out. She heard people in the crowd pointing her out, everyone cheering immediately as they noticed her moving to her trainer box. As her feet stopped in the box, she stared across the field.

* * *

><p>"Two minutes? Great..." Ash muttered, unclipping two spheres from his belt. Shaking his head, he clipped one back on. "Wait, I can't switch you. But you're a little risky, with Hilda's surprises," he frowned at the sphere remaining in his hand, dropping it into his bag. Looking at the variety of others, he sighed. "This is gonna be hard to choose..."<p>

"ONE MINUTE REMAINING."

"Crap. Come on, Ash, think..." he closed his eyes, thinking of each pokemon he had on-hand. As each blew past in his mind, he began to get more nervous. "Man, I can't think...Who could-" his eyes snapped open, an idea coming to him. "Wait, that's it! He's perfect!"

* * *

><p><em>"...Where is he? There's no way he would be getting cold feet now, he would only be more motivated," <em>Hilda looked oddly at the empty trainer box opposing her, a thought coming to her mind. _"It can't be...Has he already caught on? Since now he knows I've hidden Mienshao from him, does he think I'm hiding another secret?"_

"There he is!" she was broken from her thoughts at a random voice in the crowd, looking over and seeing the door to his room opening. Stepping out with the electric mouse on his shoulder, he took his position in his box and Pikachu jumped off to stand beside his foot.

"AND WE HAVE OUR TRAINERS ONCE AGAIN! NOW, CHOOSE YOUR POKEMON!"

"Mandibuzz, you're up again!" Hilda tossed the sphere, bursting in a flash of light and releasing her vulture. Hilda watched Ash expectantly, confused as she saw him smirk as he pulled a sphere to his hand.

"Time to rock, buddy!" Ash called as he tossed the sphere, the light bursting and hitting the field. Everyone watched in anticipation as it took form of a large tan dragon with small wings and a large tail, surprising the crowd.

"AND IT WILL BE MANDIBUZZ AGAINST DRAGONITE!"

"Dark Pulse!" the bird fired a dark chain-like attack, the dragon standing tall and taking the attack directly. The crowd gasped, watching it take the attack like it's nothing.

"Get in close," the dragon expanded its small wings, lowering its head and suddenly gliding across the field at a surprising speed.

"Mandibuzz, get away!" Hilda called, the dark-type extending its wings but the dragon was too fast, swinging its tail down and crashing the bird to the ground.

"Thunder," the twin antennas on the dragon's head began to glow, sparks suddenly shooting from them, quickly turning into powerful bolts of electricity and entering the bird's body. Mandibuzz gave a cry of pain, Hilda's eyes widened as her bird's head hit the ground, the dragon stomping back to Ash's side. The bird never moved since that moment.

"AND MANDIBUZZ IS DOWN _ALREADY_! DRAGONITE'S THUNDER ATTACK IS EVIDENTLY EXTREMELY POWERFUL, AND IS DEFINITELY NOT A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH!" Goodshow announced, his voice overpowering the cheering through the stadium as Hilda recalled the vulture, frowning as she switched spheres on her belt.

"Emboar, let's do it!" Hilda called, releasing her fire-type starter once again.

"AND THIS MATCH WILL BE EMBOAR AGAINST DRAGONITE! BETWEEN TWO POWERFUL FIGURES, ONLY TIME WILL TELL WHO CAN WIN!"

_"Dragonite is definitely going to be tricky...I know he can be very resistant to attacks, not to mention the power of its attacks like Thunder..."_ Hilda thought with a frown, Emboar sensing the worry in its trainer and affecting itself.

"We'll let them have the first move, buddy," Ash told the dragon, crossing his arms. The dragon nodded, remaining still and waiting patiently.

_"He wants us to attack first...He must have a plan ahead of us..."_ Hilda thought, looking cautiously at the dragon. "...Emboar, Flamethrower!" the fire-type breathed a stream of powerful flames, but Ash only smirked. The crowd gasped as the attack directly struck the dragon's chest, but it only swiped its claws through the stream, cutting the attack off into nothing.

"Flamethrower again!" she commanded, the fire-type releasing another searing attack hitting the dragon's chest. _"He's planning something, so it would be a bad idea to go in directly...But we can't just keep distant and use Flamethrower the whole time, Dragonite's defenses are too high and Emboar will get tired..."_ Hilda thought with a frown, watching the dragon cut off her attack.

"Thunder," the dragon's antennas sparked, drawing its head back and thrusting it forward, a twin-pair of powerful bolts of electricity shooting through the air.

"Block it with Fire Punch!" the fire-type's fists caught ablaze, holding them out and receiving the attack. Surprised, Emboar felt its feet drag back against the floor as its arms began to quickly hurt. The electricity cut off, Emboar looking at its arms as the flames cut off. "Run in with Flamethrower, then get close with Hammer Arm!"

"Thunder on the ground in front of it, then go in with Dragon Claw," the dragon fired another electric bolt at the ground where Emboar was running, ignoring the flames on its chest as it watched the ground explode, surprising and blinding the fire-type temporarily from the debris. Its wings extended slightly, taking off the ground and gliding quickly along the field. Its claws glowing a powerful blue, it drew its arms back to the side.

"Block with Hammer Arm!" the fire-type's arms glowed red, crossing them in front of its head. The dragon thrusted its claws into the arms, sparks of energy bursting into the air as the dragon grinned, feeling its claws begin to push the arms back. "You can do it, Emboar!"

"Thunder," the dragon's antennas sparked again, the fire-type's eyes widening in surprise as the devastating electric power overwhelmed its body, the power cutting off in its arms. The dragon's claws pushed through, forcing into the fire-type's chest and lifting it off the ground through the air, crashing back down by Hilda.

"Emboar!" Hilda shouted, eyes wide in shock as her starter was beaten around. The starter weakly rose to its feet, sparks coursing through its body as it moved.

"Into the air," the dragon ascended into the air above, looking down on the fire-type opponent.

"Emboar, Flamethrower!" the fire-type grunted, firing a stream of flames at the airborne foe.

"Break it down with Dragon Claw," the dragon's claws slashed the attack into nothing, grinning. "Dragon Rush," the dragon-type's body became enveloped in a powerful blue aura, streaked with white as it dove from the air towards its opponent.

"Emboar, Flare Blitz!" the fire-type's body lit up in bright blue flames, charging and jumping into the air and colliding against the dragon. Moments passed as they fought for dominance in power, flames and bitz of energy shooting into the air. Suddenly the fire-type broke off, being pushed to the ground and exploding. "Emboar, no!"

"Back, Dragonite," the dragon's power cut off, grinning as it flew back to Ash, landing by his side again.

"Emboar! Get up, Emboar!" Hilda called, but the dust did not settle, the fire-type remaining from anyone's view.

"That's it, then," Ash smirked, crossing his arms again as the dragon gave a nod. But their eyes widened in surprise as, across the field, a sudden column of fire shot into the air. "What?" Ash winced, shielding his eyes as the flame's intense heat could even affect him across the field. Dragonite winced as well, both keeping a close eye on the flame from within the dust cloud.

"Emboar!" Hilda called again, the flame glowing brighter.

"EEEEM...BOOOAARRR!" the dust suddenly disappeared from the air, revealing the fire-type on its feet in a crater, arms to the sides. The pillar of flames suddenly faded, the fire-type's flame beard glowing brightly and more intensely than before.

"Em...boar...?" Hilda asked hesitantly, staring at her starter in surprise.

"As I thought...It's Blaze..." Ash frowned, the dragon watching the glowing fire-type cautiously.

"Alright, Emboar! Let's show them your real power!" Hilda cheered with a grin, the fire-type shouting its name in agreement. "Flamethrower!" the starter fired a searing stream of flames, but this attack glowed brighter and more intense than before. Dragonite stood tall, Ash's eyes widening.

"No, Dragonite! Dodge!" the dragon hesitated from the surprise, but obeyed and took into the air, the flames shooting past and striking the wall behind Ash. The dragon landed again, looking at Ash. "I'm sorry, buddy, but even you won't be able to take that. With Blaze, Emboar's flames will be really bad, so try to avoid as many as you can, okay?"

_"Nite," _it nodded, facing the fire-type again.

"Thunder," the dragon fired the powerful bolts across the field, the fire-type's fists lighting up in bright flames and shielding itself. The electricity struck its arms, but the starter pushed through it and charged at the dragon. "Wait for it to get close."

"Fire Punch followed with Hammer Arm!" Hilda thrusted her own fist forward, the fire-type grunting as it charged closer to the dragon.

"Aqua Tail!" a whirlpool erupted from the dragon's tail, enveloping it as the dragon swung its body around, crashing the water cyclone against the fire-type. It grunted in pain. "Into the air, and again!" the dragon took into the air, flipping its body forward and crashing the whirlpool against it again.

"Grab its tail!" the fire-type grunted, punching its fist through the water and grabbing the tail within it. Surprised, the dragon cut off the water from its tail and tried to shake loose. "Now Flamethrower!"

"Thunder!" the fire-type released the super-powerful flame at close-range, the dragon-type wincing and grunting from the scorching pain. It released a powerful electric blast, the fire-type shouting in pain as both received a powerful close-range attack. They separated, the starter stumbling back on the ground and the dragon wavering back in the air. They shook their heads, glaring intensely at each other.

"Dragonite, we're ending this!" Ash shouted, the dragon giving a nod as it ascended higher, circling back around.

"Emboar, this is it!" the Unova pokemon shouted its name, pounding its fists together as its beard glowed brighter.

"Spin with Dragon Claw, and use Dragon Rush!"

"Flare Blitz with Hammer Arm!"

The dragon spun its body through the air, its claws glowing brightly and creating a glowing streamer effect drilling through the air. Its body lit up in powerful blue energy, glowing brightly as it dove downward. The fire-type's arms glowed red, pounding them together again as its body lit up in an intensely-bright blue flame, a brightness nearly dangerous to stare at. It jumped into the air, both pokemon shouting its name as they fiercely collided. Both stared directly at the other, glaring and baring their teeth as they fiercely fought to overpower each other. The powerful flame and dragon-type aura suddenly enveloped the airborne pair, glowing brightly as the entire area of power exploded, scattering a thick cloud of smoke over the field.

"Emboar!" Hilda called, hearing both pokemon shout in pain from within the smoke.

"Dragonite!" Ash shouted, hearing his friend's pained call from the cloud. Both trainers waited impatiently to see the result, as did everyone else in the stadium.

"THAT WAS IT! THE WINNER OF THIS MATCH WILL BE HIDDEN WITHIN THAT CLOUD!" Goodshow announced, the crowd remaining silence in anticipation as it filled the air. The smoke took its time to part, several minutes passing by as everyone watched in silence. A devastating roar was suddenly heard, surprising everyone. Everyone's eyes widened as, in the center of the cloud, there was a strange glow.

"What is that?" Hilda asked herself, wincing and looking carefully at the glow. The glow suddenly extended upward, bursting through the cloud and striking the roof. Electricity.

"That's Thunder!" Ash exclaimed, looking back at the center of the cloud. Distinctly, he noticed a large figure moving quickly up into the air, bursting through the cloud as the attack had.

"_Dragooo!"_ the dragon roared, its body covered in scratches and burns, but its menacing expression still showing the will and ability to fight.

"Dragonite! Buddy!" Ash shouted happily, his expression beaming as he saw his dragon was okay. Hilda stared in surprise, looking back at the cloud. "Alright, buddy! Get rid of the cloud!" the dragon roared again, flapping its wing and creating an intense gust of wind, quickly dispelling the smoke to nothing. Now visible, on the field, the fire-type was lying on its stomach.

"Emboar!" Hilda shouted, running to her starter.

"AND EMBOAR IS OUT COLD! DRAGONITE IS THE WINNER!" the crowd roared in applause at Goodshow's announcement, Hilda crouching beside the fire-type.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking concerned for the pokemon. It grunted weakly, struggling to move. "No, don't push yourself. I don't want you hurt anymore, so take a rest, okay?" the fire-type grunted again, disappearing in the beam of red light. Hilda frowned as she clipped the sphere back to her belt, returning to her spot in the box. Her hand touched her last remaining sphere, grinning.

"AND WHAT WILL HILDA'S FINAL POKEMON BE?" Hilda turned around, grinning as she tossed the sphere.

"It's finally time!" she called, the sphere bursting open. The crowd watched as the light hit the field, quickly taking shape as a strange eel-like creature on two fin-like feet, with four fangs around its circular mouth.

"When did she get _that_?" Ash asked in shock, staring at the new pokemon.

"AND LOOKS LIKE HILDA'S FINAL CHOICE IS HER EELEKTROSS!"

* * *

><p>"Whoa! She has an eelektross!" Max exclaimed, eyes beaming at the electric-type.<p>

"I suppose you don't know about this one either, Hilbert?" May asked sarcastically, looking at the man.

"Now she's got an eelektross...?" he asked himself quietly, the brunette pair giving a sigh.

"Looks like another secret pokemon of Hilda's," Leaf stated, looking back at Ash and his dragon. "If Hilbert doesn't know, I bet Ash didn't know either...

"So he has no strategies against it?" May asked, the brunette giving a sad nod. "So he'll have to think on his feet, then."

"And quick," the pair looked back at Hilbert, who was now out of his trance. "If Hilda kept Mienshao a secret and it had that much power, then Ash better be careful with this one. Who knows how long she's had it or how powerful it is now..."

"Sorry we're late!" everyone looked, surprised to see the blunette cheerfully waving to them as she moved down the row.

"Where have you been? I thought you came back when it started!" Iris gasped. The girl playfully laughed, shaking her head as she took her seat again.

"Nope, I got caught up in line getting snacks, so I was watching the battle from beside the stands. Once Emboar went down, I rushed back up here," she explained, the group understanding.

"Wait, where's Paul?" Brendan asked.

"Huh? He's not back yet?" she asked, looking around confused and concerned.

* * *

><p><em>"Now it's an eelektross? She's really been quiet over the years, I suppose I never would have known if they were secret weapons against me in battle. But once again, I have no idea how to approach this,"<em> Ash thought with a frown, looking carefully at the electric-type.

"Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" the eel's fangs sparked, firing a powerful electric bolt from its mouth.

"Thunder," the dragon fired its own powerful electric attack, both colliding and exploding at the center of the field. "Dragon Claw."

"Counter that!" the dragon's claws glowed, bursting forward. The eel held its claws out to the side, glowing as well as it waited for the dragon. As it got close, they both swung their claws and clashed. "Latch onto it!" the eel grabbed the dragon's arms, pulling itself forward and latching its fangs onto the dragon's chest. It winced, struggling to push the eel away. "Now Thunderbolt!" the eel's fangs sparked again, releasing a devastating electric attack on the dragon. Ash's pokemon shouted in pain, stumbling back with the eel still on it. Wincing, it glared down at the pokemon and grabbed its tail, pushing it away as far as it could.

"Dragon Claw on its head!" Ash called, the dragon's claw raising in the air and glowing.

"Release!" the eel let go of the dragon, quickly sliding backwards on its feet as the dragon swung its claws down, missing it.

"Circle back and use Dragon Rush!" the dragon took into the air, a few sparks leaping across its body as it flew in a large loop, coming back at the electric-type and disappearing in a blue aura.

"Wild Charge!" the electric-type's body crackled with electricity, a brightly-glowing yellow layer of sparks covering it. It slid forward as if on skates, springing into the air and crashing into the dragon. The explosion spread smoke across the field. Ash looked carefully, then noticed the faint figure of his dragon flying in the air.

"Dragonite!" Ash called, the dragon growing larger. It moved through the smoke, revealing a large amount of electricity coursing through its body as it slowly descended to the ground. Ash watched confused as his dragon's feet touched the ground, then it grunted and fell forward, its head hitting the ground a few feet from where he stood. "Buddy!"

"AND DRAGONITE IS OUT! NOW BOTH HILDA AND ASH ARE DOWN TO THEIR LAST POKEMON!" Goodshow announced, the crowd applauding violently as Ash frowned, recalling his dragon.

"Thanks a lot, buddy, it may have been a while but you sure haven't lost the slightest bit of your skills," he smiled weakly, returning the sphere to his belt. As his hand clutched his final pokeball, he unclipped it and stared at it for a few moments. He looked up at the electric-type opposing him, who stood with a few scratches from the explosion.

"NOW WHO WILL ASH'S FINAL CHOICE BE?" Goodshow asked, the crowd waiting in anticipation as he held his final pokemon. Hilda watched him carefully, then noticed his lips spread into a grin.

"I'm surprised you've forced me to my final pokemon, Hilda," Ash stated, the girl trainer looking at him oddly. "But you will soon regret it."

_"What is he talking about? I already know all his pokemon and how they battle, so how can I regret it? It's like he has a secret weapon of his own, as if he's-" _the brunette gasped, eyes wide as she stared at the sphere in his hand. _"He can't be...! He _can't_ be serious!"_

"My final pokemon!" Ash shouted, the crowd cheering loudly as the sphere soared into the air. The blue light flashed from the sphere, diving down and hitting the field, taking form. Everyone watched in anticipation and anxiety as the form changed, quickly surprising everyone. It was a human.

"About time!" the female figure turned around, puffing her cheeks frustrated at Ash.

"Yeah, I only promised to use you, I never said when," he replied, the girl crossing her arms.

"Pfft, lame excuse," she looked away from him and faced her opponent, confused looking back at Ash. "When did she get an eelektross?"

"We have no idea," Ash sighed, shrugging. Zo shrugged as well, turning and facing the eel again.

"WELL, THIS IS QUITE A SURPRISE!" Zo jumped, looking around frantically holding her chest.

"Arceus, give me a heart attack much..." she breathed, her heart racing from the sudden voice.

"IT SEEMS THAT THERE MUST BE A SECRET HERE. AS CLEAR AS DAY, IT SEEM THAT ASH HAS SENT OUT A HUMAN GIRL AS HIS FINAL POKEMON," Goodshow announced, the crowd murmuring and whispering in confusion.

* * *

><p>"What is Zo doing down there?!" May jumped from her seat, eyes wide on the girl.<p>

"How was she in a pokeball? And how does Ash expect her to _fight_?" Max asked, an odd look on his face. On the end of the row, Leaf and Hilbert laughed and smiled nervously.

"Oh, this is gonna be entertaining..." Leaf laughed, the man nodding.

"Sure is, not to mention a real trouble for Hilda," Hilbert added, everyone looking at them oddly.

"...You two seem to know about this. What's going on?" Iris asked, looking cautiously at the pair.

"Let's just say, up until now...You haven't known the _real_ Zo."

* * *

><p><em>"He did...He's actually battling with her..."<em> Hilda stared at the girl, her muscles not reacting. She shook her head, eliminating the thoughts from her mind. _"But she's still an opponent! On Ash's side, no less! That's more of a reason to beat her!"_

"Oh, she's got that look on her face," Zo giggled, pointing at the brunette across the field.

_"Lektross ee, lek!"_ the eel shouted, the girl's attention brought to the electric-type.

"What did you just say?!" she snapped, the eel smirking oddly with its circular mouth, Zo continuing to glare at it. "...Ash, can I beat it up already?"

"Be careful, Zo, I don't know anything about it so we can't be reckless," Ash told her, the girl giving a sigh.

"But that's what I do best...And it always works, too..." she looked back at the trainer with her puppy-dog eyes, the trainer only shaking his head. "Dammit, fine. Just say something already."

"OKAY, WELL...THIS SEEMS TO BE THE REAL SITUATION, SO...LET'S BEGIN THE FINAL MATCH!"

"Eelektross, be careful. This is one of Ash's best, so always be on guard," Hilda told her pokemon, the eel's fangs sparking in response.

"Aww, she thinks I'm really dangerous! Thanks, Hilda! You, too!" Zo laughed across the field, waving happily at her. A few distinct laughs and chuckles were heard from the crowd as well, the brunette looking around with a frown.

"Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" the eel fired an electric beam at the girl, who only smirked.

"What now, mr. master?" Zo asked sarcastically, the trainer frowning at her poor humor.

"For now, we'll just dodge," he replied, the girl giving a frown.

"That's no fun," she muttered, pushing her feet off the ground from behind her, quickly gliding along the field and landing at the halfline, surprising the crowd. "And I thought we were gonna be serious about it, too."

"Dragon Claw!" the eel's claws glowed, sliding forward and bringing its arms back.

"Dodge," Zo frowned, leaping into the air and avoiding the attack.

"Bring it down!" the eel leaped after her, its claws still glowing as it slashed at the girl. To everyone's surprise, she only spun and flipped in the air, acrobatically avoiding each attack with grace.

"Is that all you've got?" she asked with a smirk, the eel's anger rising as it began slashing more rapidly. However, the girl continued to dodge.

"Dark Pulse," Zo put her feet on the eel, surprising it as she kicked it to the ground, firing a powerful dark chain-like attack after it. The electric-type collided with the ground, the attack exploding on it shortly after. Zo flipped backwards through the air, landing safely on the ground again by Ash.

"Ow, cramp, cramp..." she muttered, stretching her leg.

"That's why I said to be ready, Zo," Ash sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

* * *

><p>"What the heck was <em>that<em>?!" Max jumped from his seat, eyes wide.

"That was Zo's attack, Dark Pulse," Hilbert told the boy, Leaf giving a nod.

"Come to think of it, you never told me her moves before," Leaf told him, the man looking into the air in thought.

"...Oh, yeah, I thought we did when we told you about Zo, but I guess not," Hilbert said absentmindedly, the brunette looking expectantly at him. "Oh, you want them now?"

"Much appreciated, yes," she replied sweetly, the man crossing his arms behind his head again.

"Well...There's obviously Dark Pulse, then-"

"Hey! Can you tell us what the heck's going on?!" Iris snapped, surprising the man.

"Excuse me, it's rude to interrupt a conversation," he told her enticingly. "Now, you wouldn't expect it but another move-"

"Stop ignoring us!" Max snapped, the man giving a sigh.

"Fine, what do you want?" he asked, slightly irritated.

"One, how is Zo able to use Dark Pulse, or any move for that matter?" the boy asked, pointing to the girl on the field.

"I told you, you don't know the real her," he replied plainly, giving a shrug.

"Oh, and I suppose Zo is some sort of secret pokemon in disguise or something stupid like that?" Misty scoffed, the other laughing in agreement to the ridiculous statement. Leaf and Hilbert glanced at each other.

"...Actually, yeah."

* * *

><p><em>"She still moves so effectively, but she's usually so lazy..."<em> Hilda thought with a frown, not understanding that particular concept. "Eelektross, Thunderbolt!"

"Didn't she already learn I'm too fast?" Zo asked, looking back at Ash.

"Since you still complain so much, show me how your defenses have improved," Ash crossed his arms, the girl looking offended.

"Are you calling me weak?" she asked, the trainer giving a shrug. She glared at him, turning back and seeing the eel fire its attack. She extended her leg back and held it firmly against the ground, holding one arm out and letting the electricity crackle against her palm. The crowd gasped as the electricity began to travel up her arm towards her body, but she rolled to the side and brought her arm down through the electricity, cutting the attack off, sparks still going through her arm.

"Not bad," Ash told her, the girl smirking confidently.

"Of course, you didn't expect me to actually be hurt by a weak attack like that, did you?" she asked rhetorically, the trainer giving another shrug. "You're a real jerk, you know that?"

"I've heard it so often I really don't care anymore," he responded, the girl rolling her eyes as she cracked her knuckles.

"Weirdo," she taunted, stretching an arm behind her head.

_"Is she...Stretching? Whatever, she's stupid for putting her guard down,"_ Hilda thought with a smirk. "Dragon Claw!"

"She remembers she has a microphone on, right?" Zo asked, looking at Ash and ignoring the oncoming attack.

"I'm pretty sure she does."

"And you remember too, right? Everyone can hear what you're saying to me."

"Yeah, I know."

"...Okay, whatever, just seems weird."

"Stop complaining, you know how to get rid of him," the girl nodded, waiting patiently as she sensed her opponent moving closer. Moments passed as it slid towards her with its claws glowing, the girl only continuing to stretch and ignore it.

"And now the fun begins!" she chanted, grinning as she raised her fists in the air, glowing a mixture of deep red and black. She turned and faced the eel, bringing them down and slamming them into the ground, releasing a strange explosion-like attack of dark energy. The eel stopped, surprised as it was consumed by the attack, the area around it caught in an explosion.

"Eelektross!" Hilda called, watching her pokemon walk into a trap. Zo jumped out of the smoke, landing again by Hilda with a smirk.

"You have better plans than that, right?" she asked, the brunette glaring at her.

* * *

><p>"Now what was that?!" May looked oddly at the site of the explosion, then at the girl standing by Hilda.<p>

"That was Night Daze, right?" Leaf asked, the man beside her giving a nod. "I guess that makes sense."

"Now she can use Night Daze? What is that, anyway?" Misty asked, confused.

"It's a powerful dark-type move," Iris told her, the redhead giving a nod. "And that's certainly peculiar..."

* * *

><p>"Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" the electric-type fired another bolt, but Zo stepped to the side. "Keep firing Thunderbolts and get close with Dragon Claw!"<p>

"Hey, if I win this battle, can you finally be honest with Hilbert?" Zo asked, looking curiously at Hilda as she avoided the electric attacks. Hilda's cheeks turned pink. "Just wondering, it's really pissing everybody off that you're so obssessed with Ash now. I'm just saying this again as a friend."

"Hit her!" Hilda called, the pokemon girl giving a frown. Turning around, she stepped to the side and watched the electric-type slide past her with a slash of its claws.

"Well, that's nice of you," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she jumped on its back, wrapping her arms around its body. The eel struggled, the girl laughing uncontrollably as she held on. "S-Stop that! Your skin feels f-funny, that t-tickles!"

"Zo, throw it," the girl continued laughing, pulling her weight back and flipping the eel backwards, sending it into the air. "Shadow Ball," starting to cease her laughter, a purple sphere formed in her palm, throwing it into the air and exploding on the eel. "Now Dark Pulse," the girl followed with the dark-type attack, exploding again on contact with the electric-type, its body falling to the ground.

"Eelektross!" Hilda called, worried. Zo finally managed to stop laughing, turning towards the brunette.

"Anyway, I really am only saying this because I'm your friend. I only think it's best for you to give up on Ash," she told her, the brunette looking at her oddly.

_"Give up on him? How does she expect me to give up on Ash?"_ she thought in disbelief, shaking her head.

"I'm not trying to be mean or anything, just saying. Ash is clearly happy when Leaf is around, and vice versa, especially since they used to love each other as kids," Zo explained, the eel getting to its feet and glaring at the girl. "Underneath his stupidity, Hilbert's a really nice and caring guy. You've known him longer than I have, so you should know this. Please, Hilda, don't be blind," Zo told the brunette, confused as she felt something on her head. Glancing up, she was surprised to see the electric-type's fangs holding her head in place. "Get it off! Get it off of me!"

"This isn't going to end well," Ash sighed, shaking his head with a frown.

"Thunderbolt!" Hilda called, the eel's fangs beginning to spark.

"Oh sure, when I act nice you attac-" she stopped short, grunting as the powerful blast of electricity suddenly coursed into her body. Starting from her head, her nerves were greatly affected.

"Now Dragon Claw!" the eel released the girl, who wavered on the spot as the eel's claws glowed. The girl grunted, feeling the claws forced into her back, throwing her forward towards Ash. Able to weakly regain control of herself, her body turned into a red swirling vortex, the crowd gasping as she appeared again as a ball, rolling harmlessly on the ground towards Ash. Flashing into the red mass again, she re-appeared back as her human form standing on her feet, holding her head.

"Oww, I think I have a headache now..." she groaned, the trainer shaking his head in disappointment.

* * *

><p>"Wait, she can turn into a <em>ball<em> now?" Misty asked, looking more confused than before.

"Another mystery added to the pile," Iris sighed, her face dropping into her palms.

"Does she do that often to avoid the pain just because she can?" Leaf asked, looking at Hilbert.

"Yeah, she's more of a comical relief than a fearsome opponent. Don't get me wrong, she's really strong and all, but you can agree she doesn't look like much," Hilbert replied, the brunette giving a nod.

"You're right on that," she stated, both looking back at the field. Everyone glared at the pair.

"I'm starting to not like them as much..."

* * *

><p>"I told you not to underestimate it, Zo," Ash told the girl, who remained clutching her head with her eyes closed.<p>

"I know, but you also know that I don't listen very well..." she groaned, looking back at the electric-type. "How long are we just going to mess with them?"

"I suppose it's time to get serious," Ash replied, the girl giving a smirk as she lowered her arms again.

"That's what I've been waiting for. I'm thinking I should battle as myself from now on," the girl stated, looking back at the trainer. He nodded, the girl giving a nod as she disappeared within the familiar red vortex, re-appearing as a small black-furred fox with a mischevious expression.

"Alright, Zo. Shadow Ball then get in close," the fox sprinted forward at a surprising speed, firing a purple sphere and continuing towards the electric-type.

"Thunderbolt, then Dragon Claw!" the eel exploded the sphere with a bolt of sparks, its claws glowing as the dark-type drew closer.

"Dark Pulse on the ground, then Night Daze," the fox fired the chain attack, exploding on the ground in front of the eel and raising debris. The eel prepared itself for the fox's next attack, but it never came. The dust settled and revealed the fox gone, surprising the electric-type as it looked around in search. As it found the dark-type behind it, it was too late as she had already brought down her glowing paws, releasing the dark explosion behind it, enveloping it once again.

"Eelektross, Thunderbolt!" the brunette called out, the eel in the explosion area opening its eyes again. Its fangs sparked, releasing a powerful electric blast in the air, merging with the dark power and spreading through the area, affecting the dark-type as well.

"Shadow Ball," the fox winced, launching a purple sphere at the electric-type and exploding on contact, dispelling the dark aura around them. "Now Dark Pulse."

"Thunderbolt!" the eel countered the attack, both exploding and cancelling the other out. As Zo flipped back and landed by Ash again, Hilda looked at Eelektross and noticed its breathing was heavy. _"This isn't good...Eelektross can't go much longer, but I can't make a final attack just yet...Zo's still fighting..."_

"How you feeling, Zo?" Ash asked, the fox looking back at him.

"I'm doing fine, stop worrying so much," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"I just don't want you getting hurt too badly."

"You're calling me weak again! Stop that!"

"I can't, Zo, so you're feeling well enough to finish this?"

"Of course! What do you take me for?"

"Alright, then. Charge in with three Shadow Ball, then change to Dark Pulse," the fox nodded, hesitating at the command before dashing forward. It leaped into the air, firing three purple spheres consecutively at the eel and then firing the dark-type attack as it began to fall from the air.

"Counter with Thunderbolt!" the eel countered the chain attack, exploding and sprading a small cloud of smoke. Surprised, the eel and its trainer saw the three spheres burst through the smoke. "Dragon Claw!"

"Shadow Ball again," the fourth sphere came from below the cloud, exploding between the eel's feet and blinding it. The first three spheres disappeared into the smoke with the eel, a three-round explosion being heard as the smoke expanded.

"Eelektross!" Hilda called, the eel giving a shout as it jumped out of the smoke. "Great! Get close with Dragon Claw!" the eel skated forward along the ground, quickly closing in on the dark-type.

"Dark Pulse," the eel slid to the side, avoiding the attack and continuing to avoid it as the fox tried following it with the attack. The eel flipped back over the chain, bursting forward and slashing at the fox, who narrowly jumped over it and dodged.

"Now Brick Break!" its arm glowed, throwing it back and slamming into the fox's side. Surprised, Zo felt herself thrown back through the air. Flipping and barely regaining herself, her feet touched down and slid back along the ground, wincing from the supereffective attack.

"You still okay?" Ash asked, the fox looking back at him with a frown.

"I still find it insulting that you don't believe in me," she replied, the trainer giving a chuckle.

"If you still have enough energy, think about all the best things I've done for you," he told her, the fox giving a nod as she face back against the electric-type, closing her eyes.

* * *

><p>"What?" Dawn asked, confused at Ash's command.<p>

"What will thinking about that help them with?" May added, also confused. Leaf looked at Hilbert.

"He has a good reason for calling that, doesn't he?" she asked the man, who only smirked.

"It's their stylish finish together, every time they have a powerful opponent."

* * *

><p>"Eelektross, charge as much electricity as you can," the eel nodded, focusing every volt of electricity in its body to one point. "Alright, Eelektross! Wild Charge!" the eel suddenly glowed with electricity, sparks flowing off its body as it slid forward.<p>

"Return!" the dark-type opened her eyes, glowing a light shade of pink which quickly spread to her body. As her entire body glowed a brilliant and warming shade of pink, she sprinted forward leaving behind a trail of small hearts in the air. Both pokemon glared ahead, grinning as they collided at the center, the power quickly resulting in an explosion.

"Eelektross!" Hilda shouted, the cloud of smoke expanding over the entire field.

"Zo!" Ash shouted, the smoke pouring over his end as well. Both trainers tried to see through the smoke, but were unable to as it was too thick. Minutes passed in silence, the crowd not uttering even a whisper as the anticipation in the air was through the roofs. As it finally began to clear, everyone could hear a strange laughter. Confused, everyone saw a figure stumbling out of the smoke towards the sideline.

"Wow...I haven't felt a rush like that in a long time! It feels good to be back!" Zo laughed happily, shaking her head from the trance with a grin. She ran over back to Ash, relieving the trainer. "That was awesome!"

"Good to see you're okay," he smiled, ignoring the scratches and marks on her body.

"Yep, you can always depend on me! I'm your number-one!" she cheered, the mouse giving her a slight glare. The fox poked her tongue out, laughing to herself. Hilda frowned, hearing the fox's familiar suspicious laughter from beyond the smoke. Moments passed again as the smoke began to clear, the brunette searching again.

"Eelektross?" she called out, the electric-type's figure suddenly visible. "Eelektross! You're okay!" she smiled, noticing her pokemon's figure was still standing! The smoke cleared, then the brunette gasped. As her pokemon was revealed again, it was on its feet, but its eyes were swirls! "Eelektross!"

_"Eee..." _it murmured weakly, its body not moving.

"AND IN A SURPRISING TURNOUT, EELEKTROSS WAS KNOCKED OUT STILL ON ITS FEET! WITH ALL OF HILDA'S POKEMON UNABLE TO BATTLE, AND ASH'S ZORUA STILL STANDING, THE WINNER OF THE FINALS IS ASH KETCHUM!" the crowd roared in applause louder than it had before, the brunette hurrying to her electric-type's side.

"Eelektross, are you okay?" she asked, the pokemon not responding or moving in the slightest. "...I guess you just need a rest," she smiled, laughing quietly to herself as she recalled the unresponsive pokemon. Clipping the sphere back to her belt, she frowned as she took the mic off her collar , looking across the field.

"Looks like we did it, Zo," Ash smiled, unclipping the microphone from his shirt collar and crouching beside the fox and petting her.

"What are you talking about? That was all me out there!" she replied stubbornly, the trainer giving a frown as she cheered happily to herself. "I did it, I did it~! I'm so awesooome~!"

"Ash," the trainer looked up, seeing Hilda walking closer to him. He stood up, smiling.

"That was the best you've ever battled, Hilda. Your mienshao really took me by surprise," he chuckled, the brunette smiling.

"Yeah, I knew I could never get past you if I didn't keep some stuff to myself," she giggled, the trainer putting his hands on his waist and pushing his elbows behind him.

"It was a fair match, though, you really had me going a lot of the time," he chuckled again, the brunette puffing her cheeks in frustration.

"What do you mean, _a lot_ of the time?" she asked, hitting the trainer's shoulder. He only shook his head in amusement, rubbing where she hit.

"Thanks for the great memories, Hilda," he extended his arm to her, but she shook her head. Confused, he watched her move towards him swiftly and wrap her arms around him, hugging him tightly. He smiled, wrapping his arms around her.

"Thank you, Ash...For everything..." she whispered.

"No problem," he replied, smiling as the brunette pulled back from him. She only stared at him, smiling. "Is something amusing?"

"I can't believe I fell in love with you without realizing," the trainer's cheeks warmed at her words, then she lifted to her tiptoes, pecking the trainer's cheek before walking past him towards the exit. He looked back, watching her with a confused expression.

"You take Leaf to the lake, I'll keep Hilda in the campsite," Ash looked back at Zo, who stood in her human form. "Do _not_ mess this chance up, okay?"

"Thanks, Zo," he smiled, the pokemon smiling with a nod.

"Hey, Hilda! Wait up for me!" Zo called out, hurrying after the brunette.

**END**

**So that's how the battle went. I realize now I can't finish this by Christmas, but I'll push my hopes for the deadline to New Year's. Hopes say this will be finished by January 1, 2013. Also, 13k words breaks my new record, if you're not happy with this then you're a difficult person. Just kidding, you're all great.**

**What is Ash planning for Leaf?  
>What will Zo and Hilda talk about in the campsite?<br>What will happen when Hilbert intrudes on them with a surprise?  
>What happened to Paul after Dawn's kiss?<strong>


	56. Chapter 56

**Sorry, sorry, I know I suck at updating. My teachers for each period suddenly pushed the due date for the final project of the semester closer, so I've been working my ass off to finish them in time. Thankfully I've got three done and one nearly finished, so I'm back here. Plus bus schedule was canceled, so got a free day!  
>As many pointed out from last chapter, the battle between Ash-Hilda was accidentally a five-on-six. I apologize for this inconvenience as well as my laziness to re-edit, and the Froslass ghost-type hit by fighting-type thing doesn't really matter. Sure, it should be realistic, but think about it. This is <strong>_**Pokemon**_**. Ash has been 10 for, like, twenty years so this is **_**nothing**_**!**

"So why are you coming with me?" Hilda asked, looking oddly at the mischievous girl beside her.

"I dunno, I don't want to get involved with the celebrations back there. I'll get swarmed by cute-adoring fans," Zo sighed, holding her hands out to the sides with a shrug.

"Yeah, I guess that would be a pain for you," Hilda giggled, rolling her eyes. "So you would rather be with the loser than the winner with the celebrations?"

"Yep."

"Thanks for making me feel better."

"Oh, sorry, I just meant that you're my best friend."

"It's okay, I get it. But wouldn't your best friend be Ash or Pikachu, or even Froslass?"

"Nope, it's you. You're the one who understands me the most, and even though I'm disappointed you can see through my disguises, I'm happy when I'm with you."

"Cool, you're great to have around too," Hilda smiled, the pokemon grinning happily.

"So are you just heading to the camp, then?" Zo asked, the brunette giving a nod.

"Right after I get my pokemon to Nurse Joy, then I'm heading right over," she told her, the pokemon hurrying ahead. She stopped, turned on her heels with her arms behind her back, grinning suspiciously.

"Head to the camp as soon as you're done, I'll be waiting," she told her, dashing off towards her destination. Hilda frowned, putting her hands on her hips.

"Now I'm nervous about going back..."

* * *

><p>"I'm surprised I can get used to this again..." Ash chuckled, the mouse smiling with a nod in agreement. The pair stood at the center of the field, waving to the crowd as they cheered as loud as they could. His eyes traveled all around the stadium, until they finally set on his friends. Cilan, Brock, Misty and Iris were clapping and beaming, the purple-haired girl looking like she was about to jump down the rows and out of the bleacher towards him. Max was cheering wildly and you could read from his lips that he was excited. Brendan and Hilbert were clapping normally with a simple smile on their faces, but Paul was oddly nowhere to be seen. Dawn and May were cheering even more happily than Max, if that was possible, but watching them made him wonder how he was able to put up with it. The two girls began blowing kisses and winking down to him, the trainer feeling his cheeks grow warm. Finally, his eyes set on Leaf. Well, you know how she was about him. "Okay, buddy, maybe I'm not used to it yet..."<p>

"Congratulations!" Ash was nearly startled by the deep voice, looking towards Hilda's side of the field. Everyone in the crowd looked as well, their cheering stopping immediately as their eyes found the two figures walking towards Ash.

"That was a splendid battle, Ash, you should be proud. The entire Kanto should be proud," the blonde woman smiled, clapping lightly.

"Indeed, it was very spirited. You sure know how to battle and have fun as well," the man chuckled heartily. Ash cringed suddenly, bowing forward slightly.

"Thank you, champion Cynthia and champion Alder," he stated politely, the champions looking at each other with an amused smile. Pikachu adjusted himself onto the trainer's upper back, looking at the champions with an embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of his head at the trainer's action.

"You don't have to bow, we're all friends, aren't we?" Ash looked back up cautiously, seeing the pair smiling at him. He straightened out again, the mouse hurrying to re-adjust to his shoulder again. "You don't have to be formal with us, you've helped saved the world from Team Galactic."

"And I've heard from the grapevine that you were involved in the diminishment of Team Plasma," the man told him, Ash looking at him surprised.

"How did you-?"

"And I also know Hilda and Hilbert were an assisted pair in the activities, the police were kind enough to inform me of that secret. But let's just keep this between us three," he held a finger in front of his lips with a smile, Cynthia giving a nod. He hesitated, then nodded.

"So, Ash, how are you feeling right now? Nervous?" the woman asked, holding her elbows.

"Honestly...A little, yeah," he chuckled, looking at the crowd. "I never thought that it would be this intense. Always dreamed of it, but never really thought of what it would be like."

"It's certainly a harder lifestyle to get used to, especially when just starting," Alder told him, crossing his arms. "I may be getting old, but my reign as champion hasn't been that long."

"And everyone says I'm young, but I've been Sinnoh champion for almost nine years now," Cynthia told him, Ash looking intrigued.

"It's not my place, and I hope you don't mind me asking...But how old are you two really?" the champions looked at each other, then smiled.

* * *

><p>"How should I keep her here...?" Zo asked herself, giving a sigh as she laid back onto the grass. "...Man, I really need to think ahead more often...I could ask her about- No, I can't, that would make her think about it stronger," Zo shook her head, sighing again as she looked at the bright sky above. "...I can't bring that up either, or she would get suspicious..."<p>

"What would I be suspicious of?" Zo jumped, surprised as Hilda stepped into the clearing, looking at her expectantly. "Nurse Joy wasn't there so I left my pokemon on the counter, hopefully she'll see them when she gets back."

"N-Nothing, I was talking to myself about...May, yeah, I know something she can't know or she would be heartbroken," Zo nodded, the brunette looking at her curiously.

"...Fine, I'll give it up for now," Zo breathed in relief again as Hilda sat beside her, crossing her legs and facing her. "Can I ask you something serious?"

"Sure, what is it?" Zo replied, looking back at the sky.

"Can you help set me up with Ash?"

* * *

><p>"<em>Seriously<em>?" Ash asked, shocked. The champions smiled at his reaction. "I'm sorry, that's just not really expected. It's like Caitlin all over again..."

"It doesn't matter anyway, age is something that comes to everyone sooner or later," Alder told him, the trainer still in a state of shock.

"...But Cynthia, you look like you're still in your twenties. And Alder, especially no offense...But the wrinkles are pretty easy to see..." he said hesitantly, unsure how the man would react. Suddenly, he burst out laughing.

"Yes, I've heard that before! Me and Cynthia are opposites, in this case," he told Ash.

"It truly is a strange thing, but facts are facts," Cynthia added, Alder giving a nod.

"...Okay, I guess I learned something today..." Ash chuckled, the mouse shaking his head with a sigh, lightly punching the side of his trainer's head.

"Very well, with that aside, you are aware of the next step you will take in battling?" Cynthia asked, the trainer giving a nod.

"Yes, I know my next opponent," he replied, the older man giving a grin.

"I hope you can manage to fare well against me, Ash," the Unova champion told him, looking determined.

"Something tells me you'll have more difficulty than him," Cynthia told him, the man looking at her shocked. Ash looked surprised, the woman winking at him with a smile. "I'll be cheering for you, okay? The Pokemon League needs a fresh young mind to change how they think."

"Uh...Y-Yes, thank you," he responded, feeling his cheeks warm up slightly. The woman turned around, walking away followed by the man. He couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Why are you cheering for him? That hurts me, you know."

"You may be energetic and determined, but he's learned to relax over the years. He can battle with a pure state of mind."

"How is my mind not pure?"

"Quiet, Alder."

* * *

><p>Zo nearly choked on the proposition. She looked at Hilda in shock, who only stared at the sky. "...Um...I'm not sure how to respond to that..."<p>

"You don't have to say yes, I just thought your help could work. You're great at messing with people, and Ash is no exception," she smiled, looking at her friend. "I would really appreciate it."

"Uh...I..." Zo hesitated, unable to think of the best response. She couldn't agree, but she couldn't tell her why either. How could she tell Hilda that she was already on Leaf's side?

"It's alright, you don't have to say anything. I'm not sure how to do it, though...I could write a hate letter from Leaf or something, but he probably won't buy that..." Hilda thought out loud, the pokemon girl watching her feeling concerned.

_"I can't just leave her like this, she's my best friend, but I can't really help her either. And she's right, a hate letter wouldn't work..."_ her mind paused, suddenly she started thinking harder. _"Wait...A letter...That sounds familiar, but where-" _she shot up from the ground, her eyes wide. _"Oh Arceus, the letter! I completely forgot about that!"_

Zo? What's wrong?" Hilda asked, watching the girl in confusion as she stood up.

"Uh, sorry I have to leave, but I'll be right back. Wait for me, okay? There's...Something else I want to talk about," Zo told her, the brunette giving a confused nod. Zo gave a relieving sigh, hurrying out of the clearing. She burst through the trees, seeing no one around the plaza. "They're still not back from the arena? Good, no one's gonna see me," she hurried towards the center, dashing through the automatic doors. "Joy!"

But she was greeted by silence.

* * *

><p>"Man, how long will this go on...?" Ash was waving once again to the crowd, who cheered for him once more. He noticed his friends moving through the crowds and walking to the stairs, figuring they were going to meet him at the doorway.<p>

"Mr. Ketchum!" amused, he watched the familiar pink-haired woman walk towards him. "I watched your battle, you did amazing as always."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," he smiled.

"I've told you before, you can just call me Joy," she smiled, holding her arms in front of her. "If you would like, I could take your pokemon now and head right back to the center to get them feeling better again."

"Oh, thank you," he took the spheres from his belt, handing them to the woman. "Thanks a lot."

"No worries, you will be battling the Unova champion, after all," he nodded, the woman leaving with a wave.

"IF I COULD HAVE YOUR ATTENTION!" the arena immediately went silent. "WITH THE BRILLIANT VICTORY TO ASH, HE WILL HAVE THE HONOR OF BATTLING A TRUE CHAMPION! AND DECIDED FROM OUR HALF-TOURNAMENT DECISION, WE HAVE THE FINAL BATTLE CHOSEN! THIS BATTLE WILL BE A FULL SIX-ON-SIX, ANY STYLE CHOSEN BY THE COMPETITORS. AND THESE WOULD BE NONE OTHER THAN ASH KETCHUM OF KANTO, AND THE UNOVA CHAMPION, ALDER!"

"They really go all out with publicity..." Ash shook his head in amusement, looking around as the crowd went wild. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Alder battle in years...Not since that tournament in eastern Unova..." he told himself, the mouse giving a nod.

"THIS BATTLE WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW AT 5 PM, FOLLOWED BY A CELEBRATION AND FIREWORKS DISPLAY. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE TO WITNESS THE BATTLE OF A LIFETIME!"

* * *

><p>"Come on, where is it...?" Zo muttered, crouching and looking across the shelf. She saw a pile of papers, picking them up and searching through each one. "Damn, how about over here...?"<p>

* * *

><p>"What is Zo doing?" Hilda wondered, looking towards the trees. "Sometimes I worry about that girl...She always seems to be up to something, but no one can ever tell..." she sat up, looking up at the clouds. "...I wonder if she's up to something right now...?"<p>

* * *

><p>"I can't believe this...I know she has it, but where is she keeping it...?" Zo said frustratingly, searching for the paper desperately. "I can't believe this! Joy, where the heck are you keeping it?!"<p>

"Keeping what?" Zo jumped, whirling around to see the pink-haired nurse standing in the back room doorway.

"Have you been here this whole time?" Zo asked quizzically.

"No, I just came back from Mr. Ketchum's battle. Oh, where are these pokeballs from?" the nurse walked towards the desk, looking oddly at the spheres.

"They're Hilda's, she dropped them off a while ago. More importantly, _how_ did you get in the back room without me noticing?" Zo asked, looking back at the doorway.

"I've worked here for years, I know some secrets around here," she told her, taking the spheres from the desk. "I'll be going right ahead to start with the pokemon...But what is it that you're doing?" the nurse replied, watching the girl search through the small shelves.

"Oh, uh...Looking for something," Zo replied nonchalantly, laughing nervously. "By any chance...Do you still have that note you helped make?"

"Note?" the nurse asked, setting the pokeballs down on the opposite counter.

"Yeah, you know...That one Brendan and Hilbert were involved with...?" Zo asked hopefully, unsure how to explain it. The nurse thought as she placed each of the spheres in a slot, the indent glowing around them.

"Oh, _that_ note!" she exclaimed cheerfully, the pokemon girl's expression lightening. The nurse moved to the counter where Zo was, tapping her chin for a few moments before looking at the bottom shelf. She lifted a paperweight off a pile of sheets, then lifting the pile.

"Wait, is that your secret hiding spot or something?" Zo asked, looking oddly at the cardboard box designed to look like paper.

"Yeah, nobody messes with the papers behind a nurse's desk so I figured it would be a good place to keep stuff," she shrugged, flipping the box and pulling out a sheet of paper. "Here you go. I actually forgot about this."

"Me too, thanks a lot for finding it. I guess we should make use of this before it's too late," Zo laughed, taking the paper.

"How would it be too late?" the pair jumped, seeing Hilda walking towards them with the doors closing behind her. "And what's that note?"

"Oh, this? Uh, nothing, really," Zo replied nervously, hiding the paper behind her back.

"If it's something secret, maybe next time you shouldn't act so secretive and suspicious with it," Hilda put her hands on her hips, looking at her intently. "What is it?"

"I-I told you, it's nothing," she told her, the brunette rolling her eyes and walking closer.

"Let me see it."

* * *

><p>"I'm surprised the crowd died down so quickly..." Ash told the mouse, watching the people walk out of the arena orderly. "Speaking of which, where did they all go, Pi? Think they already left?"<p>

"Ash! Hey, over here!"

"Of course not," he sighed, the mouse nodding in agreement. He turned around, seeing his friends with the exception of a few walking towards him. Then the two running. "Wait, girls, slow d-"

"Ash! Congratulations!" the trainer collided harshly with the ground on his back, suddenly feeling nervous as there were two balloon-like objects against the side of his head.

_"Oh Arceus, no..."_

"I knew you could do it, I just knew it~!" the blunette cheered giddily, tightening her arms' grip around the trainer's head against her chest.

"We never doubted you! That was amazing!" the brunette laughed happily as she rubbed her head against his chest, her arms tightening around his torso. He cringed, suddenly feeling two more balloon-like objects against his abdomen. He suddenly felt _very_ nervous.

"Dawn! May! Let him go, jeez!" Iris shouted, the redhead nodding in agreement. The men sighed.

"Women..." Max muttered, shaking his head and adjusting his glasses.

"Come on, you two. May, you're gonna make him throw up, and Dawn you'll squeeze his brains out," Brock told them.

"Not if he doesn't lose his mind from something else," Hilbert whispered to Brendan, who laughed with a nod.

"What was that?" Ash asked, but it came out slightly muffled. The two men cringed as they suddenly felt the familiar fear from hearing his tone, the two looking at each other nervously.

"Nothing."

"It was funny, but what he said."

"Seriously! Dawn, May, control yourself and let him breathe!" the redhead shouted, moving forward and grabbing the blunette's arms, trying to pry her away.

"You too, May!" Iris did the same to the brunette, both groaning and trying to hold onto him in resistance. After a few minutes, they were finally able to free the trainer.

"So that's what the sun looks like..." Ash sighed, breathing slightly heavier as he leaned back, staring into the sky above.

"Doin' alright, man?" Hilbert asked, crossing his arms behind his head. Ash nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine for now. Surprised my brain's still in place with no damage," he responded, exhaling slowly.

"Me too. If that happened to me, I would've lost it completely and gone to cloud nine, never to return," Brendan chuckled, the men giving him amused looks. "What? You can't expect me to say I would hate it, and we all know you wouldn't either."

"Shut up, Brendan," May rolled her eyes, the Hoenn trainer giving a sigh as he crossed his arms. "Anyway, congratulations Ash."

"Yeah, I got that much from before," he chuckled, getting to his feet again. The brunette blushed, looking at the ground with an embarrassed smile.

"I can't believe you! You're so amazing, that was the best battle I've ever seen!" Dawn nearly squealed, Ash taking a baby-step back.

"Okay, okay, I get that," he said nervously, holding his hands out to stop her from jumping him. "I'm just surprised you didn't jump me, Leaf."

"Hey, I'm dignified," Leaf crossed her arms, huffing and turning her head to the side.

"Says the one who repeats the same things over and over, and insists on fighting another girl for me," Ash joked, the brunette's cheeks suddenly burning. She lowered her head.

"Hey, that reminds me. Where did Hilda go? I saw Zo run after her, too," Cilan stated, the trainer giving a nod.

"Yeah, apparently they had something to talk about," Ash lied. He knew the reason she took off after her.

"Are you feeling alright, Leaf?" Max asked, looking oddly at the brunette.

"I'm fine."

"Just saying, you're awfully quiet right now. Usually you're all over Ash by now."

"Shut up, Max!"

"Okay, okay, I was just wondering..."

"Besides, I have a good reason for that."

"Oh, what's that?"

"None of your business."

"Fine. We're a very personal group, huh?"

"Yes, yes we are," Misty told him, rubbing the boy's head. He frowned.

"So what are you guys planning on doing now?" Ash asked. "I think I'm gonna train after my pokemon are feeling better with Nurse Joy, but until then I don't know."

"I guess I'll just go shopping, since there's nothing else to do," Brendan shrugged.

"I'll go with you!" May beamed, surprising everyone. Brendan blinked in surprise at her reaction, as did everyone. May looked around confused, then her face went red as she realized how she said it. "I-I...I mean, there's some things I want to get...And it would be boring to go a-alone..."

"...Uh..." Brendan was at a loss for words, but Hilbert nudged his gut with his elbow. "...S-Sure, sounds good."

"R-Really?" May's face lit up, giving a sigh of relief. Brock and Cilan only smiled, Max adjusted his glasses and caused a glare, which inadvertently blinded Hilbert temporarily. Ash looked back and forth between the pair with an arched eyebrow, and the three girls stared at May slyly with grins.

"How about you, Dawn? You want to join them to keep them in line?" May and Brendan blushed at the man's words, the blunette shaking her head.

"No, I'll pass this time. Whatever happens between them is their business," she stated, the pair turning redder.

"I think we'll just hang out at the room, what do you think? I got a new cookbook and wanted to see if it was any good," Brock said, the connoisseur giving a nod.

"I could use that as well, it might prove helpful."

"I want to study water-type pokemon here first, then I'm going to go fishing down at the lake once the battle's over tomorrow."

"I think I'll go with you, I feel like training too and you're a gym leader, so I think I'll stick with you."

"I think I'll just stay out of the way of all the couples around here, so I'll be in the room with you guys."

"How about you, Hilbert?" Ash asked, looking at the man.

"I still got something to do, so I'll be wandering around figuring out how to go about that," he shrugged.

"Looks like we all got plans, then," Ash stuffed his hands in his pockets, the brunette frowning as she looked back up at him, her face back to normal.

"Hey, I don't have any," Leaf told him, the trainer looking at her curiously.

"Oh, I guess you didn't say anything. I'm going to find Hilda and Zo, see ya," Ash waved, walking towards the doorway away from the group.

"Hey Leaf, didn't you say you wanted to ask him something?" Hilbert asked, the brunette looking oddly at him. He narrowed his eyes, looking briefly at him then back at her. She wondered what he meant, then realized he was telling her to go.

"...Oh! Oh, crap, I forgot! Ash!" she hurried after him, leaving the group confused.

_"And let's hope that works out,"_ Hilbert thought with a smirk, watching Ash pull a sphere from his pocket and opening it, releasing a large orange-winged lizard. Hilbert instantly felt nervous, subconsciously moving behind Brendan. They watched Leaf catch up with him before he took off, talking a few moments before Ash gestured for her to get on. She carefully climbed onto Charizard's back, the lizard taking off.

* * *

><p>"You don't have to hold so tightly, you know," Ash told her, the brunette frowning as she tightened her grip around his stomach.<p>

"Sorry, I'm not used to flying that often," she told him, the trainer rolling his eyes. She rested her head against his back, her cheeks warming as a smile crept to her face. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the warmth of his body.

"So where do you think Zo and Hilda are? The campsite?" Leaf asked.

"I guess that would be the best bet..." he lied. He didn't tell Charizard that the destination was the campsite, it was somewhere else instead.

* * *

><p>"Man, can't believe I have to walk back...Too bad Togekiss can't carry me..." the blunette sighed, trudging forward with a depressed look. She looked ahead at the great staircase she would have to travel down, giving another sigh. <em>"...I wonder what happened to him..."<em>

* * *

><p>"Wait, Ash, that was the campsite back there," Leaf looked oddly as the pokemon passed over the trees, noticing the camp grow smaller. "Oh, wait, they aren't even there," she narrowed her eyes, seeing the camp was empty. The few minutes of the ride passed in silence, the brunette silently wondering where the trainer was going. She figured it had to be the one destination he loved, so she didn't bother to ask. As they landed, she hopped off and saw what she expected. "You really do love this lake, huh?"<p>

"Yeah," he replied, recalling Charizard and pocketing the sphere. He looked out at the water, hands in his pockets.

"So they're not at the camp or the lake, so where could they be? Think they're in the mall?" she asked, but he didn't reply. She looked oddly at him. "...Ash?"

"...Leaf, I need to talk to you about something," she was taken back by this.

"...Okay, what is it?" she asked, unsure what was on his mind.

"I've thought recently about my future, and I can see a variety of things I can be doing. But I never really thought about _who_ it was with," he explained, the brunette confused at his words. "I'm going to stay with my pokemon, for sure, and we're going to keep training to stay a powerful trainer."

"That much is obvious, you're more obsessed with pokemon than anything," she giggled, the trainer feeling himself smile.

"...And since this tournament started, I've thought more about who I could stay with. I want to keep in contact with all my friends, but some I think I need to stay with personally," he told her, the brunette's arms moving behind her. "Zo is my pokemon so she's going to stay, and I think I want to stay with Hilbert and Hilda too."

"Oh, cool," she replied, frowning. She couldn't help but feel disappointed when he mentioned Hilda's name.

"...But there's one person I can't see a future without," she looked at him curiously, wondering who he meant. "Everyone's telling me to think about this, and I have more than I needed to because it's always on my mind. It's kind of frustrating, actually."

"As long as you decide on what makes you happy, it shouldn't matter to anyone else what you pick," she told him, the trainer giving a nod as he continued to stare at the water.

"...That's why I brought you here, Leaf. I had to tell you this," she looked confused again, the trainer turning and facing her. "I've been stupid enough to let this go for the whole tournament, but I'm finally putting an end to it."

"What are you talking about? she asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You and Hilda are fighting over me, and I can't stand being the reason my friends are fighting," her eyes widened, her hand suddenly moving to her chest as it began beating faster. "You're both great girls, and I can't stand to see you hating each other because of me. I want you both to be happy, no matter what's going on."

"But we both are happy," she told him, flashing a smile. "We're happy because you're there with us. That's enough to make our day worth it."

"You speak like I'm a legendary pokemon or something," Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. The brunette laughed to herself.

"Only you would refer to yourself as a pokemon, Ash. That's what makes you you, and that's why we've grown so fond of you," she told him, smiling warmly.

"You both say you love me, and with how you act, I've come to accept that," the brunette's smile slowly faded. "...But I've been told repeatedly that I would have to choose eventually, and I know that's true, but I pushed it aside because I didn't want to choose between you. I just feel like that's impossible for me."

"We're both very close friends of yours, so I guess I understand," she smiled weakly, but she knew she was forcing herself to.

"As much as I hated it, I knew they were right about having to choose. I wanted to postpone it as much as possible, but I just can't anymore. At this point, I feel like I can break anytime from all of this," his hands in his pockets clenched, feeling frustrated. "It's just a damn bother having to choose between you!"

"Ash..." he took a hand out of his pocket, running it through his hair with a sigh. She couldn't say anything else. She could only stare at him, watching him become angry at himself for something he couldn't be blamed for, it was her fault. Her and Hilda had brought him this trouble. "...Ash, I'm sorry. You don't have to worry about choosing. I know that Hilda thinks this too, but we're both more than happy just being able to be your friend."

"But...it's just damn trouble for me..." he muttered angrily, his hand at his side clenching into a fist. "...Without ever realizing, for years now, I've gotten myself into the worst and most annoying trouble...Saving the world, helping with unpopular stores...I was just too childish to say no to anyone, I always wanted to help...but I never knew how much of a bother it was to me until it was finished..." he muttered, the brunette frowning.

"But that's what makes you special, you're willing to help others at your own expense," she told him, the trainer giving a sigh.

"But I never have anything to show for it. What do I get? Respect? No money, no prize or anything, a simple 'thank you' and I'm done. I was too stupid to realize that much effort for something so small, and without reward, only wasted my time!" the muscles up his arm contracted, his muscles straining themselves. Leaf frowned, watching his muscles twitch as he controlled himself.

"So what if you got a reward? Ash, you made people feel happy and thankful for your help. For you being there, they appreciated you. You were preventing them from feeling the way you do right now, about choosing between me and Hilda. They would have thought it was a bother for them to choose to do the work themselves, but they had help. You may not be able to get help with this decision, but you could help others with their problems," the brunette explained, stepping towards him. "If you never helped anyone, they would feel about their problems the same way you feel about having to choose between us. You wouldn't want everyone to feel like that, would you?" the brunette stopped a step away from him, looking in his eyes with concern. His eyes stretched back further than before, almost like an empty abyss she could disappear into.

"...No..." she looked at his arms, noticing his muscles returning to normal. His fist loosened, his fingers separating again. She looked back into his eyes. He blinked, his eyes turning back to the gentle and warm auburn orbs she once knew. "...I wouldn't..."

"See? That's why everyone sees you as kind, and a nice person. You care for others before yourself," she smiled, her fingers wrapping around her opposite wrist behind her back.

"The decision may be troublesome to me...But not anymore," he smiled, confusing the brunette.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean I've made my decision. I may not be able to live with both of you in the future, but I know for sure," he reached out and put his hands on her shoulders, staring into her eyes.

"W-What's wrong?"

"...I know I can't live without you."

"W...What...?" her voice softened, not sure she had really heard that or imagined it. Whether she thought it was or not, he had really said it.

"...I choose _you_," Ash whispered, the brunette's body freezing up. Her cheeks warmed up at his words, her mind unable to comprehend that this was really happening. She couldn't do anything in response. The trainer smiled as he could tell she wasn't able to react, staring into the brunette's shimmering blue eyes.

"...Sometimes it annoys me, and so do you," the brunette snapped out of her daze, glaring at the trainer. He smiled, his hand moving to the side of her head. She was surprised as she felt his index finger hold up against her chin, his thumb rubbing against her blushing cheek. "...But that's why I love you, Leaf."

"W-_What_?" she yelped, not expecting him to say that. At this point, her head was spinning faster than ever before or probably possible, but she was still trying to comprehend what had happened in the past few minutes. "Y...You..."

"I just felt you should know, and you would kill me if I never said it," he chuckled, the brunette puffing her cheeks in frustration.

"You _idiot_!" she reached out and smacked the trainer's head, surprising him.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, the brunette's fists clenching at her sides.

"You can't just say things like that to mess with a girl! That's called being a _jerk_! You can't mess with a girl's emotions!" she shouted, the trainer suddenly feeling nervous.

"Wait, I didn't mean it like that. I'm being honest here, Leaf," he told her, the brunette charged at him.

"Stop messing with me!" she lunged her fist at his head but he moved to the side, catching her wrist and holding it gently. He put his other arm around her waist, holding her on the spot.

"Calm down, I'm not messing with you," he said soothingly, the brunette hitting her other hand against his chest.

"You meanie! Stop it! Stop..." she suddenly stopped, her head moving forward and colliding softly with his chest. "...Stop it..." she whispered softly, the trainer feeling concerned as he heard her voice crack.

"...You okay, Leaf?" he asked gently, the girl's shoulders beginning to tremble. He noticed a drop of liquid hit the grass by his foot.

"Don't mess with me...I know...The Ash I know would never...He would never say something like that..." she whispered, sniffling as more drops hit the grass. He put his arms around her, holding her close.

"...Then I guess you've changed me for the better," he whispered, stroking the brunette's hair. She sniffed, wiping away a tear from her eye. She looked up at him, her eyes shining as she smiled weakly.

"...Even if this is too good to be true..." she laughed weakly to herself, the trainer smiling. "...I love you too, Ash. Always have, always will."

"Same here," the brunette wiped another tear from her eye, moving her head closer to his. Their lips met, a warm feeling spreading through their bodies and filling their minds with happiness. Her arms wrapped around his neck, his arms went around her waist, holding their bodies closely as their kiss continued for what seemed like hours. In reality only being just under a minute, they parted and stared at each other, smiling.

"Now I'm really glad I came along with you," she giggled, the trainer giving a nod.

"Yeah, sorry if I confused you by coming out here without a word. I didn't want to give you any hint to why I was bringing us here," the trainer explained, the brunette only smiling with a roll of her eyes.

"That's like you, for sure," the trainer frowned.

"That's mean," The girl giggled to herself, walking away from him. He watched her oddly as she walked away silently, then she stopped. Looking back at him, she smiled and held her arm out.

"Aren't you coming?"

"Yeah, right behind you."

The trainer moved until he was beside her, the pair smiling together. He extended his hand, entwining his fingers with hers.

* * *

><p>"Come on, let me see it, Zo. It's been almost half an <em>hour<em> you've kept it from me. It has to be important," she lunged again, but the bird took into the air, avoiding her with the paper in its claws.

"No way! This is not for your eyes!" Zo told her, shaking her head in form of a tranquill.

"I'm not giving up on it, you've made me way too curious to not see it," Hilda said, feeling frustrated as she stood again. She faced her friend in an alternate form, who waited cautiously on the counter.

"Zo, please be careful. You know this roof isn't high enough for a flying-type to move freely in," the pink-haired woman told her, the bird giving a nod.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine," she assured her, Hilda lunging at her once more. She took into the air, rising while carefully watching the brunette. "Besides, I'm extremely and truly-" her head crashed into something hard, giving her an immediate headache as her body dropped to the ground. The paper gently flipped through the air, Hilda reaching up and catching it carefully. "...Careful..."

"Thanks, Zo," Hilda smiled, waving the paper. The bird changed into the small black fox, reaching its paw forward towards her.

"Please...Don't..." Zo muttered weakly, but her paw and head fell to the ground. Hilda looked at her oddly.

"What's so bad about this letter?" she asked, looking at the paper. Her eyes read across the top, carefully reading each word as she dropped line after line.

"Wait, Hilda-" the nurse stopped as she noticed the brunette's eyes narrow, not blinking as her eyes moved down the page. Her hands lowered the page from her eyes, she closed them as she set the paper down on the counter. "Hilda, we can explain-"

"Who's idea was this?" she asked calmly, but Zo could tell she was letting her rage build up inside.

"...It was originally Hilbert's, but I had better ideas than he did so I...was behind most of it..." Zo muttered, returning to her human form as she sat up. "Please, Hilda, I didn't want you to know about this because I knew how you would react."

"So it was you?" she asked plainly, the girl hesitating.

"...Yeah," she admitted, giving a sigh of defeat. The brunette stood still for a few moments, time seeming to stop around them. She suddenly turned, walking towards Zo. The nurse watched her with concern as she got closer to the pokemon girl, who was still on the ground. Zo breathed out slowly.

She closed her eyes, wincing while awaiting the impact she expected from the brunette.

**END**

**There you go. You probably don't like it, I get it, it's gone downhill since the beginning. I really wish I had more time for writing FF, but damn school is really getting up in my face lately and now exams start this week. Fun. Time.**

**What will happen with Zo and Hilda?  
>What will Hilbert be up to?<br>What will Dawn be up to?  
>Will everyone learn about Ash and Leaf right away?<strong>


	57. Chapter 57

**Day closer to exams, still not in school :p Anyway, I`m enjoying my time at home. Been mostly working on chapters for this story, cuz I know I've disappointed a lot of people with my lack in common updates. So here you go, hopefully I get to the beginning of Ash and Alder's battle next chapter.**

"So what are you going to do about Hilda?" Leaf asked, looking concerned. The pair walked through the trees, their hands locked together. His grip on her hand slightly tightened, then he relaxed.

"I don't know yet, I guess I'll try to find some time to let her down easy," he frowned, running his open hand through his hair. "I just don't want to see her hurt."

"That's going to be tough, you know," Leaf told him, a sad frown forming as she looked at the ground as they walked. "Nothing hurts a girl more than being denied her feelings."

"That just makes everything better, Leaf," Ash sighed, the girl giggling at his reaction. "I really wish there was a way we could all just stay friends."

"It's too bad there's not, or life would be a lot easier," Leaf replied, Ash thinking to himself.

"What about a three-way relationship?"

"Don't even go there."

"Okay, I was kidding. Jeez, you're serious."

"If it's about love with you, then obviously."

"Alright, I get your point," he smiled, the brunette glaring at him out the side of her eye. She turned, reaching on her tip-toes and pecking him on the cheek.

"It's sucks you're too hot to stay mad at," she told him, the trainer smiling.

"I know."

* * *

><p>"Ugh, <em>finally<em>," Dawn sighed, her palm hitting against the wall and supporting her as she breathed heavily.

"You said it..." May added, right behind her copying the blunette.

"You two really need to get out more," Max stated, shaking his head in disappointment. The girls ignored him.

"Anyway, we're headed back to the hotel room," Brock waved, walking through the great doorway followed by the majority of the group leaving only the four.

"So what is it that you have to do, Hilbert?" Brendan asked, the man giving a shrug. "Okay, whatever."

"Anyway, gotta go!" Dawn exclaimed, surprising the group as she sprung up, sprinting away.

"Wasn't she...the one...who said she was...exhausted...?" the brunette panted, the Hoenn trainer arching an eyebrow.

"You shouldn't be talking," he retorted, the brunette glaring at him.

"Shut up, let's just go already," surprised as she grabbed his wrist, the trainer's cheeks warmed as he was dragged by the girl. He looked back at Hilbert hoping for help, but he only saw the trainer close one eye smirking with a thumbs-up. Brendan sighed.

This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

><p>She waited. Moments passed in silence, expecting at least a slap. But nothing happened.<p>

"What are you doing, Zo?" Zo's eyes opened again, looking up cautiously. She was surprised to see Hilda smiling, holding her hand out to the girl. "Are you gonna stay on the floor all day?" she giggled, the pokemon girl only staring in surprise. She slowly took her hand, Hilda helping her to her feet.

"Wait, aren't you mad? Aren't you going to hit me?" Zo asked, Hilda giving a confused look.

"What are you talking about?" she replied, Zo watching her cautiously.

"You just read the letter, didn't you? You should be mad from that!" Hilda looked confused again. "Do you even realize what that's supposed to mean?"

"I know what it means," Hilda responded, moving back to the letter and picking it up. "How long ago did you make this?"

"It was actually Nurse Joy who did most of it, and...I guess a couple days, maybe almost a week," Zo replied, tapping her chin in thought.

"Then there's no reason for me to be mad. I only realized my feelings for Ash a few days ago, and if you're telling the truth then you made this letter before my feelings were in the picture. Back at that time, it was only Ash and Leaf," Hilda explained, smiling. "Don't worry, I don't feel betrayed or anything."

"...I'm sorry, Hilda," Zo lowered her head, the brunette looking oddly at her. "I know you say it's okay, but I can't agree it is."

"Why not? You were just doing what you thought was right at the time, I was helping you sometimes anyway," Hilda told her, the pokemon girl looking up at her with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you hook up with him," Zo said, Hilda only staring at her. "Ash and Leaf were childhood friends, _and_ in love. Even to this day, their feelings never changed. They walk around acting like good friends, flirting but nothing ever gets serious between them. I'm sorry, but I'm supporting those two right now because it's still the right thing. They're meant for each other, and nothing can change that."

"..." Hilda only stared in response, not able to say anything. She was surprised at the girl's dedication in support of the two, nor had she seen a side of Zo's like this before. Zo became confused when Hilda smiled.

"Well, I guess that can't be helped."

"Wait, what?" Zo blinked, surprised.

"She's been in love with him longer than I have, and Ash has been closer to her than he has been with me. I understand how others see them and think they're meant for each other," Hilda closed her eyes, leaning against the counter. "And I've only known my feelings for a few days. Whichever way you look at it, there's no way I can catch up to her."

"...Hilda..." Hilda shook her head, looking at the girl and holding the paper out to her.

"Here, do what you were planning with it," she told her, surprising the pokemon and nurse.

"But Hilda, you know what this letter was meant to do, right?" the pink-haired woman asked.

"I know," Hilda nodded, giving a sigh. "But all's fair in love and war, as I've heard before."

"Hilda...Thanks," Zo took the paper, the brunette giving her a smile. Suddenly, Hilda and the nurse gasped as Zo tore the sheet in half. Proceedingly ripping it to smaller pieces, the pair watched in shock.

"Wait, Zo! What are you doing?" Hilda asked, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder. Zo smiled, holding the pile of paper bits.

"Doing what I believe is right."

* * *

><p>"Come to think of it, why don't we just have Charizard fly us back?" Leaf asked, looking oddly at the trainer.<p>

"You know you wouldn't be able to hold my hand in the air, right?" he asked, the brunette frowning.

"Oh, I guess so. But being that close to you was really nice..." she trailed off, her mind wandering to the warmth of his back. She moved closer to him, the trainer rolling his eyes.

"You're a really confusing girl, you know that?" he arched an eyebrow at her, the girl playfully poking her tongue out with a wink.

"That's why I'm so adorable," she replied, the trainer smiling and shaking his head in amusement.

* * *

><p>"What to do...What to do...?" the blunette asked herself, looking around as she walked along. "...Man, I should've went with them..." she muttered, frowning as she moved her hands to her hips. "I've got to find something to do, it's boring around here alone," she didn't notice as two of her fingers moved to her lips, smiling as she gently touched them. She blinked, then looked around.<br>She realized she had walked into the forest on her body's control, but she wasn't sure where exactly she was anymore. A twig snapped behind her, surprising her. "...Okay...This is not scary at all...I'll be fine, I have my poke-" she felt for her belt, but her hands moved frantically around her waist looking for the spheres.  
>"Or even worse, I forgot them in the hotel room! Now I'm gonna die!" another twig snapped, the girl whirling around to face whatever may face her. The bushes rustled loudly, leaves blowing through the air as she watched terrified, waiting for something to appear. "Just come out already! If you're not a coward then just get out of there!"<p>

"Shut up, would you? I'm trying to sleep, dammit!"

"_Paul_?"

* * *

><p>"Are we almost back yet?"<p>

"Yes, like I said last time."

"That was five minutes ago, under five minutes is 'almost'."

"Then stop complaining and look forward to reaching the plaza soon."

"But we won't! You're lying again!"

"Why must you be so complicated?"

"What do you mean, complicated? I'm amazing and you know it!"

"Whatever," Ash smirked, glancing away as the brunette glared at him, cheeks puffed out in frustration.

"You really are a jerk, know that?" she murmured, the trainer giving a shrug. "It really frustrates me sometimes..."

"Yeah, yeah, you've said that before," Ash sighed, chuckling. "You know, you're lucky your looks are above your annoying personality."

"Hey!" she punched his arm, the trainer laughing as the brunette rubbed her fist afterwards.

"Oh, there's a clearing," Ash stated, the girl looking confused. They passed through a row of bushes, stepping into a clearing.

"How did you know that?" she asked, looking at him strangely.

"I can sense these weird kinds of things by now," he shrugged, the pair looking around. "...Wait, I know this place..."

"...Yeah, it actually does seem familiar..." Leaf pondered, wondering what this feeling of nostalgia was. Then it dawned her. "Wait! This is the place!"

"The place?" Ash inquired, wondering about the girl's confusing choice of words. "What do you mean?"

"This is where we first met at this tournament."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean? How is this right to you, aren't you on Leaf's side?" Hilda asked, watching the girl drop the pile of bits into a trash bin.<p>

"Because this is what's right to me now. I didn't think it before because you weren't a possibility, but now I can't stay completely on Leaf's side. Besides," Zo smiled, crossing her arms. "Leaf's got a huge lead on you anyway, if I use this letter to help then you'll have absolutely no chance at _all_. I can't kick you back into the dust like that," Zo laughed, the brunette giving a frown.

"Well that's nice of you to say," she broke into a smile, followed by laughter. "But I guess it really is nice. Thanks, Zo."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm on Leaf's side," Zo told her, closing her eyes and turning away. "But, that won't stop me from helping a friend when they could use it."

"Thanks, Zo," Hilda responded, smiling as she hugged the girl. "Yeah, it disappoints me, but I guess it really makes me happy that I have a friend as great as you. You're really nice to have around, Zo."

"I know that," she laughed, the girl stepping back away from her. "And now...If you don't mind...There's another matter I wanted you to know about."

"Sure, what's up?" she asked, Zo feeling nervous. She scratched her chin, looking away.

"So...You know...I think you should give up on Ash...Because of the past ten minutes or so."

"What? Because of this conversation?"

"No...Not because of..._Us_...Right _here_..."

* * *

><p>"What the heck are you doing here?!" Dawn gasped, watching the man sit up from the bush.<p>

"I'm trying to sleep, do you have to be so damn loud?" he murmured, rubbing his eye with a yawn. "I swear, you're as bad as Troublesome."

"Uh...Paul? Shouldn't you look around first?" she asked, waving in front of the man. But he remained still, eyes closed.

"Why should I? The world's just a messed-up place, I've noticed that recently. It sucks I can't have a normal life anymore," he sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Ash has women jumping at him left and right, Brendan's got secrets of his own, and then there's Hilbert and Hilda flirting all the time and not really doing anything. Not to mention the crap Ash got me into," he muttered, the blunette's attention perking at those words.

"What did Ash get you into?" she inquired.

"The damn bother with Troublesome," Dawn looked confused, interested in what he had to say about this. "Because he got involved with me in this tournament, he just had to get me involved with his happy-go-lucky friends too. That includes Troublesome."

"Who is Troublesome to you?" the blunette asked curiously.

"A real damn trouble to me," Dawn frowned, feeling insulted. "She's a stuck-up arrogant brat who doesn't seem like she will ever grow up, always acting like a child," Paul explained, the blue-haired girl puffing her cheeks with her fists clenching.

"Oh, is that all?" she muttered, frowning.

"Yeah, but there's another problem with it," she tilted her head, confused.

"What do you mean?" she inquired, the man giving a sigh.

"Because to me, it's more complicated than that."

* * *

><p>"...You're right..." Ash looked at the center of the clearing, imagining the poorly-made tent as it had been when he first found it. "...I came here to find a tent that looked like it could kill more than support."<p>

"Hey, shut up. I don't do tents very often," she frowned. "But you were even worse. You looked like a total creep coming in here and not saying a word, fixing my tent without my permission."

"Trust me, it was an improvement," he sighed, laughing to himself.

"You're horrible. And I can only imagine being silent was because you were stunned by my looks. If you recognized me from our childhood, then you know I haven't gotten any less good-looking," she winked, smiling flirtatiously.

"Yeah, I guess that was the case," the brunette looked surprised, her cheeks going red. "But I guess it was a good thing, even after all this. That I was able to see you again."

"Of course, a life without me is boring," she giggled, giving a sigh as she held her hands against her cheeks. "I think I need to get used to compliments more..."

"I'm sure you will soon enough," he chuckled, the brunette rolling her eyes.

"Can we continue back already?" she asked, looking away.

"Fine, come on," he told her, the brunette giving a quiet sigh of relief as they continued walking again. "It's not that far to the campsite from here, so just a minute or so."

"I guess I can wait that long," she poked her tongue out playfully, the trainer shaking his head in amusement.

**END**

**There you go, another chapter. I doubt I'll be able to get another one in a few days at least, my exams stop on Thursday but I think a snow day is going to push them further. I wouldn't get my hopes up until next Saturday, at the least. I apologize.**

**What else will happen in Paul and Dawn's discussion?  
>What will happen on Brendan and May's shopping trip?<br>What is Hilbert up to?**


	58. Chapter 58

**And slower than usual again, but I've been working against a stupid virus that appeared. I didn't know they were that easy to get rid of, I used to pay stores for doing the repairs, I've never realized how much of a ripoff that is when I can just do it myself. I learned something.**

"How about this one?"

"Nope."

"Come on, you have to pick at least one. How about this?"

"No."

"You're not even looking at it."

"I don't have to, I'm fine with the clothes I have."

"But you're going to have to change them sooner or later, you can't wear the same clothes every day."

"That's never stopped me before."

"Eww, gross!"

"You do the same thing, remember?" Brendan asked, arching an eyebrow. The brunette puffed her cheeks, glaring at him.

"I know, but I wash them frequently," she replied, hanging the sweater back on the rack. "Besides, I'm a girl. Of course I have more clothes."

"Then why not wear them?" he asked, looking out the doorway of the store.

"Is that your way of asking me to model for you?" she asked tauntingly, the trainer's cheeks heating up as he realized what he said.

"No way," he replied, nearly choking on his voice.

"Fine, you're no fun," she frowned, looking through the rack again. Confused, he looked back at her.

"So you would be willing to do that if I _did_ ask?" he asked her, the brunette's cheeks warming.

"...Well, it's not like it would be a bad thing...I have a good sense of fashion, and I like trying on clothes..." she responded quietly, the trainer surprised at her response.

"...You know, what the heck," she looked at him oddly, the trainer looking through the rack behind him. Confused, she watched him pull off a hanger with a light blue top on it.

"What, you're trying on girls clothes now?" she giggled, the trainer shaking his head as he held it out to her.

"You try it on."

* * *

><p>"What do you mean, not us here?" Hilda asked, confused as she watched her friend shift uncomfortably. "You're not making sense, and you look like you're trying to tell me you killed someone."<p>

"Shut up, that's not it," Zo muttered, scratching the back of her head. "It's not because of our conversation, but...It's another conversation, that happened at the same time."

"What? Why, is Hilbert talking with them trying to help them right now or something?" she crossed her arms again, puzzled.

"No, but Hilbert was a part of helping," Zo told her, the brunette staring at her in thought. Then it dawned her.

"...Ash and Leaf are alone right now, aren't they?"

"Yeah."

"...And I'm assuming he chose Leaf, and he's confessing to her?"

"He should be. If not, I'm gonna smack him."

"...And you and Hilbert were helping set this up?"

"Right on the nose."

"So the only reason you're here is to keep me from going to find Ash?"

"Exactly."

"..."

"..."

"...Wow, you guys are really thinking about this."

* * *

><p>"C...Complicated?" Dawn asked, puzzled at the man's words. He sighed, lying back down.<p>

"That's the best way to put it," he told her, the blunette watching him cautiously.

"...What do you mean by that? How is it complicated?" she asked.

"I dislike Ash, I dislike his friends, that much is simple. Everyone's happy, they're always looking at the upsides," he frowned, still not opening his eyes. "But then Troublesome...She annoys the hell out of me, for sure. But at the same time..."

"...Yeah?" she inquired, leaning forward eagerly waiting for his continuation.

"...At the same time, I enjoy having her around," he stated, the blunette's cheeks turning pink. "She talks a lot, but it's not like anyone else talking. When she talks, she's nearly always spouting nonsense, but I somehow enjoy hearing the weird things she has to say."

"...Really...?" Dawn was at a loss of words.

"Ever since I met her for the first time with Ash at Professor Rowan's lab, she seemed like a regular annoying child. Then at Oreburgh Gym when I didn't know her name, she showed me that she really was just a stupid child," he explained, the blunette giving a frown.

"Is that so..." she sighed quietly.

"All the times her and I crossed paths over my journey, she never showed me in any way that she had grown up since the last time we met. Then at this tournament, she actually managed to surprise me by showing an adult side of her," he told her, the blunette smiling.

"And how is that? Her amazing looks?" she asked teasingly, holding in her laughter expecting the trainer's cold response.

"Yeah."

"W-_What?_" Dawn choked on her breath, beyond shocked at the single word.

"Yeah, her looks had actually improved. A _lot_. You would have to be blind to not notice she's grown up," Paul replied, the blunette's cheeks turning red.

"O-Okay...Is t-that all?" she stuttered, still at a loss for words.

"Pretty much, yeah. I've seen a lot of guys fall over as she walked by, and I can't blame them, she's actually really hot now," Dawn's cheeks burned more. "It's almost too much to believe, really. And I think that's actually the thing that gave my emotions the kickstart it needed."

"Uh huh- Wait, what do you mean? By emotions, you mean anger?" she asked, the trainer shaking his head as he crossed his arms under his head.

"No, I'm not actually sure what it is," the blunette looked at him oddly, but he didn't move. "It's not hate, anger, anything like that. It's something new to me, and I've certainly never felt anything like this before. It actually feels kind of...warm, and gentle."

"Uh...Paul..." Dawn tried getting his attention, but he didn't budge.

"It's like a warm flame has been lit in my chest, like a charmander's tail. It's not burning, and it's not weak, it's just a gentle flame that warms the air. Whenever I'm with Troublesome, this flame seems to appear...And the more time I spend with her, the warmer it gets..." he explained, the blunette staring at him in surprise with red cheeks.

"...Paul..."

"I don't know exactly what this feeling is, but I can tell its positive. Judging by how it only appears when Troublesome is around, I can only assume it involves her," he stated, the blunette's legs starting to feel weak. She dropped to her knees, letting herself drop back into a sitting position. "...Wait, I think...Oh, Arceus..." he started laughing, confusing the girl even further.

"Paul, why are you laughing?" she asked.

"I can't believe it...I might be starting to love Troublesome."

* * *

><p>"Are you done yet?" Brendan asked, leaning against a wall.<p>

"No, stop asking," May replied from behind the curtain, the trainer rolling his eyes. "I still don't understand why I'm doing this."

"You basically told me you would model for me if I asked-"

"I said no such thing."

"-And I asked, so now you're modelling. So come on, hurry up."

"Alright, alright...Jeez, I never thought I would be doing this with you..." the male's mind began depicting various scenarios which that phrase is usually matched with, each making his cheeks go warmer.

"Don't say that like it's a big deal, it's just trying on clothes," he replied, trying to stop his mind from giving unecessary images.

"But it _is_ a big deal, I'm trying on clothes for you. You're a childhood friend, this seems strange for us to be doing," she told him, the trainer's mind giving more images.

"Again, don't say it like that," he responded, shaking his head and hitting himself to stop the flow of images.

"...Okay, I'm done," she stated, the trainer hearing the curtain rings slide across the bar. He stopped hitting himself, looking over and swallowing his breath at the sight of the brunette. With the cerulean-blue top he had given her earlier, it perfectly fit around the brunette's developed body along with a pair of white jeans that hugged her hips tightly. She crossed her arms, looking away and rubbing her elbow. "These pants are a pain in the ass to get into..."

"...Is that so..." Brendan replied subconciously, the brunette glancing at him. She felt nervous as he didn't speak another word, only staring at her.

"W...What?" she asked, her cheeks turning pink. "...Creep."

"...It looks amazing on you," her cheeks turned from pink to tomato-red.

"S-Seriously? I think the pants are too bright, and the top doesn't really feel like...me," she told him, the trainer shaking his head.

"No way, the pants show off your legs perfectly. And the top just compliments your eyes," he looked right into her glimmering sapphire eyes, the brunette surprised at his words. "Glowing blue, like a gentle refreshing wave at the beach."

"...I-I...I..." May couldn't say a word. She could barely even draw a breath. She lowered her head to hide her burning cheeks, hurrying behind the curtain and closing it. The trainer stared at the curtain, confused. "...Weirdo," she muttered, feeling a smile crawl across her lips as his words repeated in her head.

_"Maybe this trip will be worth it, after all..."_ Brendan smiled to himself, looking through the rack beside him for another outfit.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry again, Hilda," Zo said, on her knees holding her palms against the floor in front of the brunette with her head down.<p>

"And I told you, stop it already," the girl sighed, grabbing the girl's arm and yanking her to her feet. "Stop apologizing already, it's starting to get annoying."

"Sorry."

"What did I just say, Zo?"

"Ah! S- I'll just go now!" Zo shook her head vigorously of her apologetic thoughts, hurrying towards the doorway as she heard Hilda sigh behind her. _"Wow, I was awful at that. I can't believe I was actually afraid...I'm a zorua, I can take the shape of anything! I shouldn't have to be afraid!"_ Zo thought to herself, smiling as the doors closed behind her. She stopped, hearing voices echoing through the empty clearing. Looking around confused, she didn't notice two figures step through the trees across the plaza.

"There, we're back. Happy now?" Ash asked, the brunette smiling.

"I'm happy whenever I'm with you."

"Fine, I'll rephrase that. Will you stop whining now?"

"Never."

"Damn."

"Oh, you love it. Hey, there's Zo!" Leaf pointed at the girl, who was still looking around oddly. She looked over at them, her expression lifting and she started waving at them. They waved back.

_"Well, at least it went well for them. That's what matters,"_ Zo thought to herself, noticing the pair's hands joined between them. Her eyes widened, looking back at the doorway. _"Oh no, I can't let Hilda see them yet. She'll be heartbroken, she has to be let down easy! I'm sorry, you two, but you've gotta separate for now!"_ Zo sprinted across the plaza, the pair walking towards them.

"Hey, Zo-"

"Hey, Leaf! Can you come with me for a minute? I want to talk!"

"Uh...Sure, but why-"

"Awesome! Come on, let's go where we can't be disturbed!" Zo grabbed th brunette's hand, pulling her away. She felt her hand disconnect from Ash's, her lips curling into a frown as she looked back at the trainer she was being dragged away. Ash waved with a frown, confused as he watched the girls leave. He noticed Zo glance back, then she glanced at the center's doorway and back at him. He looked at the doorway, and pointed there looking confused. She nodded, disappearing through the trees with the brunette. He looked at the doorway again, shrugging before moving towards the automatic doors. The doors opened as he was a foot away, but he was surprised as he came face-to-face with Hilda, who looked as equally surprised.

"H-Hilda?"

"Ash!"

_"...Okay, Zo, now I get it,"_ he mentally sighed, realizing what she wanted him to do.

"Hey, so...What're you doin'?" she asked, smiling.

"I was...just coming to check on my pokemon, Nurse Joy took them earlier and I was wondering if they were doing okay," he told her, relieved they had met at the doorway to the center.

"Oh, cool. I guess that's just like you, after all," she chuckled, scratching her cheek uncomfortably.

"Yeah, I can't help but care for my friends health," he replied, the brunette giving a nod. Both stood silently, looking away nervously.

"Hey, so-/So listen..." both suddenly started, looking at each other surprised.

"Uh...You go first."

"No, you can. Ladies first."

"I'm sure yours is more important."

"No, it's just something I wanted to clear up," both stood in silence again, moments passing slowly. "...Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked, the brunette looking at him.

"...Sure," she smiled, the trainer stepping to the side and letting her go first. She stepped past him, the trainer following beside her as they moved for the trees.

* * *

><p>"W-Wait, <em>what<em>?" Dawn stuttered, eyes wide at his words.

"Yeah, I don't really understand it either. She annoys me, she's a real pain...But this weird feeling I've been having, it has to be," Paul responded, chuckling. "I'm amazed that something like this could really happen with me..."

"Paul...I can't believe this..." Dawn's cheeks burned hotter, her heart beating rapidly as she stared at the man in shock.

"I know...I wish it was easier to say, like she conveniently heard me say it just now...That would be better..." he trailed off, his voice starting to slur. Her expression turned to confusion, moving her head closer to him.

"Paul...?" she asked gently, confused as he didn't reply. She looked at his lips, feeling as if they were taunting her. She moved closer slowly, her lips inches from his before something stopped her. "Wait a minute...!" she sniffed, drawing her head back.

"Zz...Zzz..." the man's chest rose and lowered rhythymically, the man's lips parting and he began to snore.

"Oh, Arceus, you're _drunk_?!"

* * *

><p>"No way!"<p>

"Come on, we're friends here."

"Friends should _not_ be doing this sort of thing! Especially with _this_!"

"Oh, so you don't think a boy and girl can be friends?"

"They can, for sure, but they shouldn't be doing stuff like this. It's weird."

"Quit complaining and try it on, I'm waiting."

"You're a freak," May muttered, giving a sigh of defeat as she unclipped the clothing from the hanger.

"What was that?"

"I said shut up!"

"Wow, that's rude. I'm hurt."

"You better be..."

"Done yet?" Brendan smirked, enjoying getting under the brunette's skin. _"I should do this more often, this is hilarious. She gets so angry easily."_

"One second..." Brendan waited patiently, moments passing as he heard her moving behind the curtain. "...Okay, done."

"Alright, let's see," he smirked, turning and watching the girl open the curtain and step out. His heart stopped at the sight of the girl. She wore a flame-red dress ending horizontal halfway below her knees, showing more of her right leg than her left. There was a white ribbon tied around her waist with a rose tied in it, the brunette's cheeks nearly matching the dress in embarrassement.

"Don't get me wrong, I love dresses and all, but doing this with you is just embarrassing," she told him, rubbing her arm.

"...May, all I can say about this...is amazing," Brendan smiled, the brunette's cheeks glowing brighter.

"S-Shut up," she moved towards the curtain, but the trainer put his hand on her shoulder and handed her a new hanger. She saw a red top and matching bottom.

"It would look drop-dead great on you."

"The term is 'drop-dead gorgeous', idiot. And it's fall, you're not getting away with that."

"Damn, it was worth a shot."

"Not really," she giggled, disappearing behind the curtain. She quickly took the dress off, returning to her usual attire and stepping out of the changing room. "Well, that was worth the twenty minutes for three outfits."

"Come on, I told you that blue top really worked," he told her, the brunette shaking her head and moving past him towards the doorway. He rolled his eyes with a sigh, following her.

* * *

><p>"So..."<p>

"So..."

"...What is it you wanted to talk about?" Ash asked, looking at the brunette.

"I said you could go first," she told him, the trainer shaking his head.

"No, I want you to go first. I care more about my friends' troubles than my own," he replied, the brunette frowning as she looked at the ground.

"...That relates to what I want to talk about..." Ash looked at her oddly, the brunette looking him right in the eye. "...You confessed to Leaf, didn't you?"

"W-What?" he nearly choked on his breath, surprised by the brunette's question.

"Ash, please. Just tell me the truth," she said in a serious tone, Ash looking at her with a frown.

"...Yes."

"So you love her...and choose her over me?"

"...I do love her, Hilda. But I can never choose her over you."

"Yes you can! You just told me you did!" she suddenly snapped, Ash nearly jumping. Her hands clenched into fists, glaring at the trainer. "How can you tell me you love her, then tell me you can't choose between us?!"

"...Because I can't, Hilda," he said gently, the brunette's fists relaxing. He stepped towards her, but the brunette stepped back. "Hilda, you're both two of the greatest friends I could ever have. I could never even _think_ of choosing one of you, if it meant losing the other."

"...But Zo already told me...You confessed to her alone, and I know more than anything that she said she loved you too..." she trailed off, looking at the ground. "...I can't believe you when you say that."

"...I don't expect you to," he sighed, frowning. "I know you hate me, and I understand that. I broke your heart. But I don't want to lose you, even if it means we just stay friends. Please, Hilda...You're one of the most important people to me. You, and Zo, Pikachu, Hilbert...and Leaf."

"...Well, I'm not leaving, if you think that's what I mean," his expression turned to confusion, watching the brunette smile and walk towards him. She suddenly threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly, the trainer unable to resist smiling. "...A life without you would be stupid and pointless. Zo and Hilbert too, and Pikachu of course...Even Leaf."

"Hilda..." he wrapped his arms around the girl in return, the brunette suddenly pulling back.

"You don't have to make it dramatic like a movie or something," she laughed, the trainer stuffing his hands in his pockets with a shrug. She looked at him with a gentle smile, then moved forward and reached on her toes, pressing her lips against his softly for a few seconds. Pulling away again, Ash could only stare into the girl's eyes. "This doesn't mean I'll stop loving you, you know. If things don't work out with Leaf, I wouldn't be offended to be a rebound."

"Yes you would, you know it," he told her, the girl giggling to herself as she moved past him.

"I guess you're right about that, Ash," she stated before leaving him alone, the trainer only smiling to himself.

"...Well, thankfully that went better than expected."

* * *

><p>"Remind me again...Why I'm doing this?" Brock asked, looking at the blunette ahead.<p>

"Because I'm generous, and I found the room key in his pocket," she replied, twirling the key on her finger. "Besides, I'm sure he would appreciate waking up with a hangover in his room instead of in a bush."

"But I'm doing the work here," he stated, stepping forward while supporting the passed-out man's weight. "Plus, it's _Paul_."

"What's that supposed to mean? He has a heart too, you know, you don't have to talk about him like he's an android," she told the man, Brock looking confused.

"...What happened? I know you defend him, but you would agree with anyone that he has no heart," the blunette didn't reply, only opening the door with the key and stepping in. Brock lifted the man into the room, dropping him softly on the bed.

"Let's just say I know he has a heart, more than anyone," Dawn told the man, sitting on the bed beside the Sinnoh trainer. She looked at his sleeping face, smiling to herself. "You can go now, I'll make sure he doesn't run around."

"Uh...O...kay..." Brock turned towards the door, puzzled as he began closing it behind him. He glanced back through the crack as he closed it slowly, seeing the blunette only staring at the sleeping man with a smile on her face. He pulled the door closed, looking at the ground. He shook his head, walking down the hallway without another word.

* * *

><p>"I thought you said you were going shopping? You know that means you buy stuff, right?" May asked, looking oddly at Brendan.<p>

"I know, but I said I was going because there was nothing else to do. Why did you come, then? I don't see you carrying anything new," Brendan smirked, the brunette crossing her arms with a huff.

"Shut up, I'm on my way to another store," she replied, the trainer rolling her eyes.

"So do you want me to come, then?" the brunette looked at him oddly. "I was going to go find Hilbert or something."

"But Hilbert's boring, he makes unecessary jokes that sometimes I don't think even he understands them _himself_," May told him, looking at a store in the distance. "Besides, it's fun to be with me. Especially when I'm shopping."

"You need me to carry your stuff around," Brendan told her, the brunette puffing her cheeks in frustration.

"Just come on," she grabbed his hand, pulling him away. Registering a few moments later of what she was doing, she stopped and looked down at her hand holding his.

"What?" he asked, looking down at their hands joined.

_"...What am I doing? Why did I grab his hand like that?"_ she thought, confused as she looked up at the trainer's face. _"...And why am I enjoying this feeling right now...?"_

"Is this why you were moody back there?" he asked, the brunette's cheeks flushing pink.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked. What was he thinking?

"I think I get it now...That's why you were embarrassed about the dress..." he thought to himself, looking at her with a smirk.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, looking curiously at him.

"You're thinking of this as a date, aren't you?"

* * *

><p>"N...Nngg...Uugh..." Paul slowly opened his eyes, seeing the cemented roof with the fan circulating above. "What the- Gah, my head..." he winced, holding his hand against his head. "...I didn't even drink that much...How the hell am I already sober and hungover?" he asked himself, wincing.<p>

"Mmm...Paul...Ssh..." his eyes snapped open.

"What the hell..." his head slowly turned to the side, where he saw Dawn's face inches from his. His body tensed up, the blunette stirring in her sleep. She moaned quietly, her one leg lifting and falling on his. She shifted closer, her head moving as well so he could feel her breath. "...Troublesome..."

"Mmm...Paulll..." she moaned again, her arm reaching across his chest and turning her body, so her chest dropped on his and her neck turned so her head fell over his shoulder and breathed on his neck. He swallowed his breath, trying to keep his sanity from the two specific feelings on his chest.

"Troublesome, get up," Paul told her, the blunette not listening to him.

"Nng...I want to stay with you...I love you...too..." she murmured, the man giving a sigh.

"Not that crap again- Wait, _too_?" he looked at her oddly, the blunette nuzzling her face in his neck. "Man, what the hell did I do to deserve this...?"

"You...You told me...you loved me..." she muttered, the man giving a sigh as he rested his head back and closed his eyes.

"Stop dreaming, Troublesome...I would never-" surprised, he felt something soft touch his lips. Moments passed before he could do anything, then he realized what was happening. His eyes snapped open, seeing Dawn pull back from the kiss and open her eyes, smiling.

"Yes, you did, Paul."

* * *

><p>"W-Where did that come from?" May pulled her hand away, stepping away from the trainer and looking away with warm cheeks.<p>

"Think about it, May, it makes sense. You were too embarrassed to try on a dress because you thought that's something friends don't do, but you tried on other clothes. Now that I say I'm leaving, you want me to stay. And when you want me to come with you, you grabbed my hand," he explained, crossing his arms.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she muttered.

"Normally when you want me to come with you, you grab my arm or just walk away and tell me to follow. But if you grabbed my hand this time, you have thoughts behind it," he told her, taking a step towards the brunette. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, May."

"Having feelings for a childhood friend? Yeah, 'cause that's totally casual," she scoffed, the trainer taking another step.

"If that's what you think, then how do you explain Ash and Leaf?" the brunette mentally kicked herself, forgetting about the particular pair. "And those two love each other more than anything, May. I know you loved him at one point, too."

"Who, Ash?" she asked, looking at him shocked.

"Don't bother to deny it, I've heard stories of you two. You always said he was your mentor and the one who taught you everything you know about pokemon, and you used that as an excuse to be with him. You never wanted to tell anyone how you really felt about him, though," her eyes softened, looking at the ground beside her. "It's natural. And now seeing Ash with Leaf, flirting all the time, you feel left out. Left _behind_."

"...As if you understand what I feel, anyway," she replied, crossing her arms and frowning.

"...I do, May," she looked at him confused, seeing the trainer giving a weak smile. "I've been through heartbreak too, it sucks."

"...Brendan...I never knew..." she stared at the boy, feeling sympathetic.

"And there's nothing either of us can do about it, we can't force them to come back to us," he shrugged, giving a smile. "...So since we're both left behind, why not start a new path?"

"What?" she asked, surprised as he held his hand out to her.

"Instead of following in the shadow of someone else, we'll lead down a path. How about it, May?" he asked, smiling. The brunette was at a loss for words, confused and surprised.

_"Was...Was that...his way of asking me out...?"_ she thought in confusion, pondering over the trainer's words. Slowly, she reached her own hand out for his. Her fingers gently snaked between his, the girl giving a smile to the boy. Suddenly, she pulled their hands down and stepped closer to him, pressing her lips on his. The trainer was taken back by the gesture, but the warm feeling quickly took over his mind and closed his eyes. When the brunette pulled away, she smiled sweetly.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

><p>"Ash better have made it work with Leaf...If not, that guy's gonna have hell to pay with me and Zo..." Hilbert muttered, thinking about the time they had helped give the pair. "...How are they doing now, I wonder...? That guy better not be getting laid, if so I'm gonna kill him."<p>

"What the heck are you talking about, you idiot?" the man jumped, whirling around and seeing his brunette friend looking at him oddly with her arms crossed. "Just when I think you're at your limits, you start talking about that."

"Jeez, don't sneak up on me..." Hilbert breathed trying to regain her regular heart rate.

"Oh, did I scare you?" she asked tauntingly, smiling.

"Yeah, in case you didn't notice. What are you doing, anyway?" he asked, the brunette's smile disappearing.

"Just going for a walk, clearing my head," she walked past the man, confusing him. Then she stopped. "Oh, right. Zo told me about you and her helping get Ash and Leaf together. Then Ash just told me a few minutes ago about confessing to Leaf. So in case you were wondering what was in my head...There you go," the brunette continued away from the man, disappearing through another spot in the trees. He hesitated, then hurried after her. Pushing through the shrubs and bushes, searching, he quickly found the brunette walking calmly.

"Hilda!" she looked back, looking oddly at the man.

"What is it?" she asked, the man stopping a few feet from her.

"...I'm sorry, Hilda, I-" the girl held up her hand, stopping the man.

"Don't, I already got tired of it from Zo. It was annoying, just apologizing over and over..." she trailed off, turning away from the man.

"But really, Hilda, I can't express enough how sorry I am for doing this to you," he told her, the brunette looking at him.

"You didn't do anything to me. You were only helping Leaf, I understand that...And I just got in the way," she told him, looking into the sky. "I guess I'm just an obstacle to them, really."

"Maybe to them together in a personal way, yes, but you're not just that. You're a good person, Hilda, you're a great girl and Ash is more than lucky for you to have even looked at him in an interested way," Hilbert told her, confusing the girl.

"What are you talking about, Hilbert?" she asked.

"Hilda, I've known you longer than anyone. We've been with Ash for five years, but you and I have been friends a lot longer than that. I know you, and I can tell what you're feeling right now," he explained, the brunette crossing her arms.

"Really. Then tell me," she replied, the man frowning.

"You're feeling neglected. Ash chose Leaf over you, so now you can't help but be the shadow of their love. You still look at Ash, but you know you can't reach him. He's always going to be looking at Leaf, so you can only wander in a world of remorse and regret, with Ash forever in your heart," he explained, the brunette looking at him with an arched eyebrow.

"Actually not bad, Hilbert. Those are some fancy words for you," she responded, the man stepping towards her.

"Hilda, I don't know this just from our friendship. I know this first-hand, I've felt the same thing you're going through," the brunette's eyes softened, looking surprised at the man.

"What?" she asked, the man giving a nod.

"I feel the same way you do. You know you have feelings for someone, but you can only watch them spend time with someone else, and before you know it, they left you in the dust. Then you're just a shadow, following them and feeling regretful of not realizing and doing something about it earlier," he told her, stopping a step away from the brunette. "...I know you love Ash, but you feel useless now that he's got Leaf. And you're just holding in those feelings."

"Yeah, totally," she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"It's the truth, Hilda. Whether you realize it or not, you have mixed emotions of anger, disappointment and sadness inside you but you're not letting those emotions out. If you keep them bottled up forever, then you will never be able to feel better about this or yourself," Hilbert told her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Please, Hilda. For your own good, you have to let your anger out."

"...That may be your treatment, but it's not mine," she told him trying to get loose of his grip, but his hands tightened on her shoulders.

"Hilda, I'm serious. Do you know how long I've been in this state?" the brunette looked oddly at the man. "Believe it or not, I've been with these feelings for a long time. For _years_ now, and I have not been able to recover from it. I've watched the girl I love look at another guy, and she was never honest with her feelings until she saw a threat between her and the other guy! Does it sound familiar, Hilda?"

"Wait, what-"

"It took her a long time time to realize her emotions, Hilda. This story is definitely true, you of all people should know," he told her, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a small box. "...I wasn't able to do anything until it was too late..."

"Hilbert, wait-" Hilda stopped, seeing the man walking away from her. He swung his hand over his shoulder and tossed the small box, the brunette reachign out and catching it.

"Do what you want with it. I'm turning in early today," she looked at it surprised, then the hand at her side clenched as her frustration rose.

"Hilbert, _stop_!" the man stopped, surprised at her sudden harsh tone. He turned around, seeing the brunette glaring at him. "...You're right, okay? I am holding in my emotions, I know, but I just don't want to be a pain to everyone around me. I don't want to complain because I know there are people with worse lives than mine, so I...I just..." the man felt sympathy as the brunette's eyes softened, her gaze moving to the grass between them. "...I...I don't want to be...weak..."

"...There's nothing wrong with that," Hilbert told her, stepping towards the girl. "You don't have to pretend, just be who you really are. That's what your friends will appreciate most, Hilda."

"...Who I...I really am...?" her voice was low, almost in a whimper. She felt her lip start to quiver.

"You are a strong, and talented girl. You can hurt others when you're angry, and you're really friendly so you can get along with anyone. You're tough, but inside we both know you have a warm and gentle heart," he stated, giving a weak smile. "That's what makes you the best kind of person, Hilda."

"H...Hil...bert..." Hilda couldn't find her voice, her lip began trembling more and she felt a substance forming in her eyes.

"It's okay, Hilda," he said soothingly, putting his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Just let it out. In that way, you can lose all the pain you have in your heart...Something I could never do..." the brunette suddenly broke down, tears streaming down her cheeks and her shoulders trembling. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the man. Surprised, he lost his balance and fell back onto the ground, the brunette landing on top of him letting out her sadness. He could feel his jacket and shirt quickly absorbing the tears, the man smiling weakly as he put his arms around the girl.

"Ash...A-Ash...Aaaash!" she whimpered repeatedly, the man feeling a tear form in his own eye but quickly rubbing it away. Minutes passed as the girl continued releasing her emotions, the man unable to do anything but support her in the time. "A-Ash...Why...?" she sniffled, lifting her head and rubbing her eye.

"You feel better now?" he asked softly, the brunette nodding a little.

"A little, I guess..." she whimpered looking at the man with a weak smile. Hilbert smiled.

"Come on, we should head back. It's gonna get dark soon," he told her, putting his hand on her shoulder and shifting. The brunette suddenly put her hands on his shoulders, pushing him back to the ground.

"No!" she reacted quickly, the man looking at her surprised. She wiped another tear from her eye, sniffling before resting her head back down on his chest. "...Please...Don't leave me..."

"...I would never think of it, Hilda," he smiled again, rubbing his hand on the brunette's back. She smiled to herself, feeling her cheeks go pink.

* * *

><p><em><strong>A few hours later...<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Shouldn't May be back by now? It's pretty dark outside," Brock stated, looking out the window into the darkness.<p>

"If she doesn't come back I call her bed," Max said, the two men looking at him. "What? You know the floor sucks."

"Yeah, but that's like a child," Iris shrugged, looking at the opposite bed. "And where is Dawn? Didn't you say you were helping her with something, Brock?"

"Yeah, but she should've been done with it a while ago," he shrugged, looking at the doorway. _"...Screw it, Paul can take a little torture. Plus she seems okay when she's around him."_

"Alright, if you say so..." Iris trailed off, leaping from Misty's bed to Dawn's. "Then I'm taking this one for the night, Misty snores."

"Shut up, I do not," Misty sighed, pulling the blankets over her body and turning away from the purple-haired girl. "Good night."

"Night," Iris replied, lifting the covers up and diving under her own.

"Now look who's childish," Max chuckled, the girl giving him a glare before turning over for the night. "Whatever, I'm sleeping too."

"I guess we should all turn in, then," Brock shrugged, the connossieur giving a nod in agreement. The two men lied on the floor, resting their head on the pillow and pulling their own covers over their bodies.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next morning...<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Mmm...Aaaaash..." Leaf moaned, rolling over with a smile and feeling her arm drop on the tent bottom. Confused, her eyes fluttered open and noticed the trainer was gone from beside her. "Ash?" she asked, looking out the crack of the tent's flap and seeing a dark figure move past. She sat up quietly, looking down at her attire of pure-undergarments. Moving closer and peeking through, seeing Ash walking towards his backpack with Pikachu standing beside it.<p>

_"Pikapi, chuka pichu ka_,_" _the mouse told him, the trainer crouching beside him with a sigh.

"I know, Pi, but we have to battle Alder today. We have to get some early practice in," Ash told the mouse, standing up straight and slinging the bag over his shoulder.

_"Kapi chupi?" _the mouse asked, the trainer looking down at him.

"I would, but I think she would slap me if I interrupted her sleep. Besides, it's bad enough she insisted on sleeping in my tent _with_ me," he replied, the brunette puffing her cheeks in disappointment at his words.

_"Kachupi_._"_

"Fine, so I did enjoy it. Happy?" he asked, the brunette smiling again as the mouse nodded, climbing up his leg.

_"Pika pichu_,_"_ the mouse said, the trainer rolling his eyes.

"Oh, be quiet. I'm new to this stuff, you know that more than anyone," the mouse laughed at his reply, nodding. "Alright, let's go. There's only two hours until the battle and we really need to polish some things."

_"Kapi?"_

"No, I'm not forgetting anything. What are you- Oh..." he stopped, looking back at Hilda's tent. He silently peered through, confused to see only the sleeping brunette. He smirked, unable to resist seeing a small black box in the girl's hand beside her head. _"So the guy finally did it..."_

_"Chu?"_

"Zo's not in there. Are you sure she didn't go into her ball for the night?" he asked.

_"Kachu_,_"_ the mouse shrugged, the trainer giving a sigh as he dropped the bag from his back. The mouse opened the zipper and searched through, pulling out a specific ball.

"Thanks," he took the sphere from the mouse, pressing the button. The ball burst open in a brilliant flash, forming into a small black-furred fox.

"What the...? Oh, 'cause it's not bad enough that you and Leaf are going to be all love-dovey now? You have to wake me up at the crack of dawn?" she yawned, stretching her front legs.

"If you want to know how the others will battle, then we're leaving now," Ash told her, the fox cocking its head in confusion.

"But it's still so early..." she yawned again, rubbing her eye. "Besides, why do you look like you're sneaking out?"

"'Cause I am," he replied, putting the fox's sphere in his pocket and closing the backpack, slinging it again over his shoulder.

"And...That's because you're sneaking away from Leaf?" she asked.

"Yeah, we need our training. Today is the one day we can't slack off," he replied, walking towards the trees.

"So she's just a distraction to you now? So much for being a good boyfriend," she rolled her eyes, walking towards him.

"Don't start, Zo. I've already had Pikachu talking about it, I certainly don't need you talking," Ash told her, the fox and mouse looking at each other.

"Because we're right," Zo told him, the trainer stopping and lowering his head with a sigh.

"Fine, you want to sit here until the battle starts?" Ash asked, the fox and mouse giving a shrug. "Oh, come _on_. And you guys say I'm lazy, you can never complain again."

"We're pokemon, we have much more stamina expectancy than humans. So you are lazy, we are _not_," Zo responded, the mouse giving a nod of agreement.

"You too, Pi?" he sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Fine, I got some nutri-grain bars we can have, then we're leaving."

"Is nutri-grain even good for pokemon to eat?" Zo asked, Ash giving a shrug as he pulled some bars out of his pockets. "Oh, that's reassuring, thanks."

"Want to eat or go?" Ash asked, looking expectantly at the fox. She sat down, her tail swishing happily. He rolled his eyes, ripping the wrapper off the bar and holding it down for the fox and mouse to take. Holding the other, he ripped it open and bit into it himself.

"So...I was thinking yesterday, when are you two gonna let everyone else know? It's only the four of us who know so far, then there's all your other friends," Zo told him, the trainer frowning as he took another bite.

"I know, but I don't know when...I was planning on telling them before the battle, but I think I want to focus on training now more than that..." he said, frowning.

"Uh huh...You never think, do you?" she asked, lowering her head and shaking it in disappointment.

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, but the fox only turned her head away from him, scratching beneath the fur collar around her neck with her back foot. Leaf watched the fox scratch, noticing she was looking right at her through the tent flap. She knew she was there.

_"Kachu,"_ the mouse sighed, his ears lowered and shaking his head.

"Why are you guys against me today...?" Ash asked, lowering his head with a frown.

"Just remember, don't keep quiet about it for too long," Ash looked at the fox oddly, unbeknownst to him the brunette in the tent was also giving Zo the same confused look. "You may not know how girls think, but I do. I can tell you now that girls will get offended if they know you are embarrassed to be seen with them."

"What are you talking about? I'm not embarrassed, not in the slightest," he replied, the fox glancing at the tent behind him slyly, seeing the brunette still peeking through.

"If you're not embarrassed of her, then show it," Zo told him, lying down and resting her head on the ground.

"What do you mean, 'show it'?" he asked, but the fox didn't reply. "You understand that, Pi?"

_"Kapi chupi_,_" _the mouse shrugged, the trainer giving a sigh as he leaned back.

"Great, now that's gonna be distracting me," he frowned, looking at the orange dim sky.

"Sorry to put a distraction in your head, but I don't want you to ignore it either," Zo told him, turning her head towards him. "Whether you know what it means or not, you know you have a resposibility now. Do _not_ disappoint Leaf."

"Of course not, why would I ever do that?" he asked, the fox smiling as she rested her head again.

_"Just testing you..."_ she thought to herself, the trainer taking a few moments to realize she wasn't going to respond.

"Fine," he sighed, looking back into the sky. "...Why would I ever want to disappoint her...? She's the most amazing girl you could find...If I ever screw it up with her, I'll break the single tie that holds what remains of my heart together."

"Oh, Ash..." Leaf moved her hand over her lips, smiling to herself as a tear formed in her eye.

"I really do love her, and I never plan on losing her _ever_ again like I did when we were kids," he told himself, closing his eyes. The fox opened one eye, smiling as she watched the trainer. Leaf slowly opened the flap of the tent, crawling out and wrapping her arms around the trainer, hugging him and pressing herself against his back.

"You'll never lose me, Ash. Nothing could make me want to spent a minute away from you," she whispered, the trainer looked to the side and seeing her head resting on his shoulder.

"L-Leaf? How long have you been up?" he asked, surprised. The brunette shook her head, burrying her face in his neck. He smiled.

_"I'm sorry, Hilda...But this is the way it should be..."_ Zo thought to herself with a smile, watching the couple embrace. After a few seconds of the embrace, Ash and Zo realized the wrong thing about this image.

"Uh...Leaf?"

"Yes, Ash?"

"...You do remember what you're wearing, right?"

"Yeah, why-" she gasped, remembering she was only in her undergarments. She jumped back from the trainer, holding an arm over her bra and her other over her underwear. "Ash, don't look! Don't you _dare_!"

"I'm not, I'm not," he told her, the brunette fumbling and hurrying back inside the tent.

"Pervert!"

"You're the one who came out," _"Besides, I've already seen you without a top on. This shouldn't be so bad,"_ he chuckled, feeling something hit the back of his head. Looking down, he saw a hairbrush. "Oh, of course. Come on, Pi, Zo, it's about time we head out."

"Alright, let's do this," Zo stood up, stretching her legs then jumping back and forth enthusiastically.

_"Pika,"_ The mouse nodded, cheeks sparking and thrusting its fists. Ash waited as the mouse climbed his leg the fox jumping and both landing on each of his shoulders. He looked at both pokemon, grinning.

"Time to win us a title."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Later, 15 minutes until match begins<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Alright, we never speak of this," Paul muttered, closing the door behind him.<p>

"Why not?" Dawn asked, looking innocent and confused.

"Don't give me that look, you know why. You practically _tricked_ me into letting you stay the night in my room, and then you _insisted_ you share the bed with me. So I had a night of you clinging to me in my sleep, not to mention what you slept in..." Paul trailed off, closing his eyes with a sigh as he pocketed the room key.

"So what if I sleep in just a bra and underwear?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his arm and pulling it between her cleavage.

"There's everything wrong with that when you're sleeping with a guy in the _same_ bed," he sighed, trying to pul his arm free to no avail.

"Come on, you know you enjoyed it. You got that warm feeling in your chest because I was sleeping so close to you," she winked, the trainer's cheek going pink.

"Shut up, if anyone finds out about this then it can never happen again," Paul told her, the blunette smiling sweetly.

"So you say it can happen again?" she asked, the trainer stopping to think.

"...Dammit, what the hell is happening to me? Let's go already."

* * *

><p>"...Well, uh..." May stood awkwardly in front of the door, shifting as the Hoenn trainer closed the door, locking it and dropping the key into his pocket.<p>

"Well, this was fun. We should do it again," Brendan smiled, the brunette blushing as she looked away.

"Look, I don't mean to insult you or anything, but can we keep this between us? I don't want the others knowing I did something like this," she told him, the trainer giving a nod.

"Alright, no problem," she looked at him surprised.

"S-Seriously? You mean it?" she asked with hope in her voice, looking excited. He nodded, the brunette lunging forward and embracing the trainer tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You don't know how much this means to me!"

"Like I said, no prob. You kissed me, went on a date with me, and spent the night with me in my room all in one day. I wouldn't exactly want to tell others about that right away either," Brendan chuckled, the brunette nodding.

"Not to mention...I forgot to tell you I slept in only undergarments before coming in..." she rubbed her arm, laughing nervously as her cheeks reddened again.

"Don't worry about it, it's not like it was a bad thing," Brendan told her in a lower voice, the brunette looking at him with a nervous smile.

"Anyway, thanks," she told him, the trainer smiling with a nod. He held his hand out to her.

"We should hurry, the match starts soon," he told her, the brunette smiling with a nod, moving her hand into his.

* * *

><p>"FIVE MINUTES UNTIL THE MATCH BEGINS," Goodshow announced, his voice booming over the speaker system.<p>

"Wow, I can't believe this is happening!" Max exclaimed giddily, looking as if he would burst from excitement any moment.

"Calm down, Max. Of course Ash got here, we all saw this coming eventually," Brock chuckled, rustling the boy's hair.

"For sure. And there's no way Ash can lose," Leaf added, beaming. She felt a tapping on her shoulder, turning around and surprised to see a familiar figure. "Gallade?"

_"Lade gal,"_ he nodded, putting his hand on the brunette's shoulder. In an instant, the pair was gone.

* * *

><p>You better hurry, Gallade...Before I change my mind..." Ash muttered, biting his lip in anticipation as his grip tightened on the object in his hand. Suddenly, the psychic-type and brunette appeared in front of him. "Great, you're here."<p>

"Ash, what is it? Are you nervous?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Well, yeah, I'm about to have a battle for the title of strongest trainer in the world, so just a little bit," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "But that's not why I'm really nervous."

"Then what is it? Why did you have Gallade bring me down here?" she asked, the trainer taking a deep breath.

"There's something I wanted to ask you."

* * *

><p>"Where did Leaf go?" Max asked, looking at the empty spot where the brunette was.<p>

"Probably left to get snacks. Just like last time, they didn't ask me if I wanted anything..." Hilbert muttered, feeling frustrated. The brunette sitting beside him laughed, patting the man's shoulder.

"Get used to it," Hilda told him, the man frowning. His eyes stopped on the girl's hand on his shoulder, unable to resist smiling as he saw the familiar silver diamond ring he gave to hear the day earlier.

"I'm sure she'll be back in time before it starts, there's no way she would miss anything involving Ash," Iris chuckled.

"Are you talking about me?" Iris jumped, surprised to see Leaf sitting where she was earlier, looking curiously at the purple-haired girl. Behind the brunette, she noticed the outline of a figure before it disappeared.

"When did you get back? And how did you do that without us noticing?" Max asked, looking shocked at the girl. She giggled, poking her tongue out playfully.

"You seem to be in a good mood. And I mean more than usual, which is weird," Hilbert told her, looking oddly at the brunette.

"Not really," she replied, beaming. Everyone looked at her oddly, wondering what was going on in the girl's mind. Hilbert's eyes averted down to the brunette's hands on her lap, smirking as he saw why she was so happy. On her finger was a gold ring with two blue gems in shape of hearts on the top.

"WITHOUT FURTHER WAITING, LET'S BEGIN THE FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH! THE BATTLE FOR TITLE OF GREATEST POKEMON TRAINER IN THE WORLD!"

**END**

**And that's how it ends. Nah, of course not, we still got the battle and some things involved afterwards. So I'm hoping to have this finished in under five more chapters, the update times I can't be certain they'll be soon. Next chapter will be Ash vs. Alder for the title of champion! And the story's coming to an end, finally, I definitely drew it out longer than needed.**

**What will happen in the first half of the battle?  
>What pokemon will make appearances?<br>What will happen between May and Brendan?  
>What will happen between Dawn and Paul?<br>What will happen between Hilda and Hilbert?  
>What was Ash's question to Leaf before the match?<strong>


	59. Chapter 59

**And the long-awaited battle of Ash vs. Alder! Don't want to delay too long, so I'll quickly say there are under five chapters left for installment. I think that's all, so let's start.**

"THIS BATTLE WILL BE A FULL SIX-ON-SIX BATTLE, IN THE STYLE OF ONE-ON-ONE WITH SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED! AND TO BEGIN THIS BATTLE, THE FIELD-TYPE WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM!" the crowd began murmuring at Goodshow's words, only recalling the one field ever used in the tournament. The screen lit up, a bright light flashing across various symbols showing the elements. As it began to slow down, the light finally stopped on a brown symbol and the ground began to shake, the field disappearing into the ground. The new ground rose from below, everyone watching as the craggy and mountainous terrain rose. "AND THIS MATCH WILL BEGIN ON THE ROCK BATTLEFIELD! TRAINERS, WE ARE NOW READY TO SEE YOUR POKEMON!"

"Escavalier, let's start this right!" the older man threw the sphere, bursting into a brilliant flash and releasing the armor-plated bug. Ash smirked, his hand hovering across his belt and stopping on his choice.

"Let's start with the classics, buddy!" Ash shouted, tossing the sphere. As everyone eagerly watched, the light struck the field and took form of a blue beetle-like figure, with a long horn extending from between its large yellow eyes.

"AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH WILL BEGIN BETWEEN ESCAVALIER AND HERACROSS! WITH A BATTLE OF THE BUG-TYPES, WHICH POKEMON WILL BE VICTORIOUS?"

"Show them not to mess with Johto, Heracross! Hyper Beam!" the bug dropped to all fours, a glowing white sphere growing in front of its horn.

"Giga Impact!" the steel-type's energy burst into a protective sphere of pink, laced with gold as it charged forward. Heracross fired the powerful beam, exploding on contact with Escavalier. However, the bug had pushed through!

"Heracross, hover low!" the bug's back opened, revealing a set of wings as it darted forward and flew towards the oncoming attack. It moved closer to the ground, narrowly skimming past the bottom of the powerful attack and digging its heels into the ground, stopping and turning to face the steel-plated opponent. The bug cut off its power, stopping and facing the Johto bug. _"Neither of us can use attacks for a bit, so we'll have to stall for now..."_

"X-Scissor!" Ash was surprised as the bug crossed its lances, glowing a flashy deep blue as they extended slightly.

"Megahorn!" Ash commanded, his bug's horn glowing. Both attacks collided, the force sending them both apart. "Now Focus Punch!"

"Iron Head!" the two attacks collided again, this time the Johto bug's fist pushing through and crashing the steel-type through a large boulder.

"X-Scissor on the rock beside you!" the bug's lances glowed, crashing against the rock. It shattered to pieces, the force sending them shooting through the air. Ash's bug lifted its arms, wincing as the stones crashed into it. "Now Aerial Ace!" the bug opened its eyes again, seeing its opponent had vanished. It looked around oddly, its eyes widening as it felt a great pain in its back. The bug was pushed through the air by the supereffective attack, crashing into the hill.

"Get back in it with Focus Punch!" the bug's feet touched the ground again, it stumbling slightly.

"Before it recovers, Escavalier! X-Scissor!" the steel-type smirked, charging forward with its glowing lances crossed. Heracross smirked, sensing the opponent was getting closer. At the last second before impact, the bug dropped to the ground, quickly scurrying under and behind it. The bug drew back its fist, glowing a deep blue as it crashed into the back of the steel-plated pokemon. Iwas hurled through the air and crashing into the hill. Stumbling in the air as it regained its composure, it looked back angrily. Surprised, its opponent was flying through the air and swung its red-glowing arm around, crashing into the bug and crushing it against the hillside. Debris flew into the air as the bug was pushed into a crater, Heracross jumping back with a grin.

* * *

><p>"Whoa! Awesome!" May exclaimed, beaming.<p>

"That's what you should expect from Heracross," Brock stated, smirking at the bug's antics.

"No doubt. Even if it is a creepy bug-type," Misty muttered, rubbing her arm.

"Both Focus Punch and Brick Break are fighting-type moves, which are good against a steel-type. Escavalier must have taken some bad damage from that," Max told them, everyone nodding knowingly.

* * *

><p><em>"Heracross faked being dazed, so Escavalier would lower its guard going in for a finishing blow. Good job, Heracross, you never change," <em>Ash thought with a smile, the bug looking back and giving him a thumbs-up.

"Giga Impact!" a powerful light suddenly emitted from the crater in the hill, getting brighter.

_"You've got to be kidding,"_ Ash thought with a sigh, the hill suddenly exploding. As debris soared through the air in every direction, the bug rose in its glowing sphere, fading away and revealing the bug's very angry glare. "...That can't be good."

"It's a mistake to get Escavalier angry! Now Iron Head!" the bug flashed silver, charging forward.

"Heracross, behind the hill!" the bug jumped to the side, moving evasively and disappearing behind the dirt formation. The bug listened patiently for any sign of its opponent. Surprised by a sudden crash sounding close, it leaped out of the way just in time before the bug came through the hill, the formation crumbling. Heracross skidded back, looking at the hill then back at the bug with a surprised expression.

"Once Escavalier's angry, it doesn't let anything get in its way! X-Scissor!" the bug crossed its lances, charging again.

"Brick Break!" the bug swung its glowing arm, crashing against the attack. "Why did it have to get angry so early...?"

"Aerial Ace!" the steel-type suddenly vanished, making the Kanto trainer worry.

"Spin with Focus Punch," Ash told it, the bug giving a nod. It extended its wings and took into the air slightly, spinning rapidly with its glowing fist out, leaving a trail in the air forming a circle. But the steel-plated bug appeared above it, soaring down and crashing it straight into the ground with a dust cloud rising with it. Escavalier hovered up, glaring down satisfyingly at its attack. Suddenly, a white glowing beam shot from the dust, surprising the bug as it exploded on contact. The Johto bug shot up from the ground, spinning its body and swinging its blue-glowing fist into the steel-type, sending it crashing back to the ground.

"Escavalier, get up!" the steel-type rose again, stumbling before glaring at the bug across the field.

"Good thinking, Heracross," Ash stated, the bug flashing a thumbs-up again. "Now get close with Megahorn."

"Iron head," the man commanded calmly, Ash looking at him cautiously.

_"His composure's different...If he's suddenly calm after that, then he must have something planned..."_ Ash thought, watching the two bugs collide. Carefully watching them distance themselves from the other, he looked for any openings possible from either side.

"Iron Head," Alder said calmly, the bug's head flashing silver. Ash watched it closely as it advanced on Heracross, then he noticed it. Its lances were starting to glow.

"Heracross, keep low and Brick Break!" the bug's arms glowed, its wings parting from its body and bursting forward along the ground. The steel-type made a burst of speed at the bug, but it evaded and followed back behind its opponent, clashing the supereffective attack on its back. It grunted, crashing forward into the hill. "Keep it down with X-Scissor," the Johto bug's arms glowed blue, extending its blades of energy crossed over in the air.

"Now, Escavalier!" Alder commanded, the armored bug-type opening its eyes, its lances becoming enveloped in an identical blue glow.

"Sidestep and follow-up!" the Johto bug foresaw this, and stepped to the side as the bug swung its lances in attack. Heracross' fist glowed a deep blue as it clenched, thrusted into its opponent's side and sending it crashing into the hill, its body falling to the ground as rocks crumbled around it. Ash's bug-type crossed its arms confidently with a smirk, then winced as it dropped to one knee, holding itself up with the opposite arm. Ash looked in surprise at his bug, noticing a few slashes along both sides of its body. _"That X-Scissor must have grazed him as he stepped past...Or maybe those are earlier wounds just getting worse...But either way, it doesn't look like Heracross can stand strongly much longer,"_ Ash reached his hand into his pocket, his fingers grazing against a certain object. Hesitating, he sighed quietly and pulled it out, pointing it at the bug and returning it into the red beam of light. He put the sphere back into his pocket, his hand hovering over his belt in thought. Suddenly surprised, he watched Alder recall his bug-type as well. The two trainers' eyes met, grinning as they both grabbed a sphere at the same time.

_"If that Heracross had that much spunk, then the rest of his pokemon must be top-notch," _Alder thought, grinning as they both tossed their pokeballs into the air. The lights burst from the spheres, striking down onto the field and quickly taking form. On Alder's side stood a large blue dragon with a red head and rough-looking skin, and on Ash's side was a tall green tyrant, stomping its foot and shaking the field.

"AND THE BATTLE BETWEEN BUGS HAS NOW BEEN CHANGED TO A BATTLE BETWEEN MONSTERS! WHO WILL COME TRIUMPHANT OF THIS SURELY-DEVASTATING BATTLE?" Goodshow's voice boomed over the speakers, everyone cheering at the monsters on the field in anticipation.

"Druddigon, Flash Cannon!" the dragon held its hands a small distance apart, firing a flashy silver beam.

"Tyranitar, Dark Pulse!" the green lizard fired a dark chain-like attack, both beams colliding at the center and exploding. "Now Stone Edge!"

"Charge with Superpower!" the dragon burst forward, its body glowing a deep red as the stones collided and disappeared into nothing.

"Impressive...Earthquake," the lizard stomped its foot down hard, the ground shaking violently. The dragon began to stumble, struggling to keep its balance as it tried to continue. "Now Dark Pulse," the dragon was unable to dodge, the dark-type attack pushing the dragon back to Alder.

"Druddigon, get back in with Flash Cannon, and get ready with Dragon Claw!" the dragon's claws glowed as it charged forward, firing another silver beam.

"Dark Pulse, then Earthquake," the dark attack cancelled the steel-type attack, then it rose its foot.

"Jump!" the dragon jumped into the air just before the ground shook, its wings catching the air and gliding down towards its opponent with glowing claws.

"Stone Edge," the small stones fired into the air.

"Superpower!" the dragon glowed a deep red, the stones disappearing on contact like before. Ash smirked.

"Swing your tail!" the tyrant grinned, pausing as the dragon came closer towards it. As it was close enough for an attack, the dark-type swung its tail around, colliding with the dragon. Surprising everyone but the tyrant and its trainer, the dragon was sent flying back through the air.

"What?!" Alder shouted in surprise, watching his dragon crash into the ground.

"Tyranitar's been living on Mt. Silver for a few years now, so it's had to learn to defend itself. When its attacks failed, rarely, it began to rely on the strength in its tail to send its opponents back. Its tail is stronger than its Earthquake attack," Ash grinned, the tyrant punching its fists together. "Dark Pulse," as the dragon was still weakly standing, it received the attack head-on, sent crashing back into the wall behind Alder.

"...Druddigon, use Outrage," Alder said calmly, the dragon's eyes snapping open with an odd red glow. Its expression immediately became angry, pounding its fists on the wall and releasing itself from the crater. It charged at the dark-type, firing multiple silver rays.

"Stone Edge, focus on cancelling those attacks," the tyrant released several small stones from the air in small groups, exploding on contact with the beams and stopping them. But a few were not stopped, the tyrant crossing its arms and withstanding the attacks' explosions.

"There's no stopping it once its used Outrage, Ash!" Alder called out, the dragon shouting its name angrily as it continued to charge.

_"Yes there is,"_ Ash grinned, the tyrant watching the dragon carefully as it got closer. Seconds passed as the crowd watched eagerly in confusion as the dragon charged towards its opponent, but its opponent made no move. As it was a few feet away, its claws and tail glowed. "Ice Beam!" the tyrant opened its mouth, firing a frozen-cold beam at the dragon, enveloping it in a block of ice, the block still sliding forward on the ground from the momentum.

"What?!" Alder shouted, Ash grinning.

"Now Swing your tail!" the tyrant grinned as well, swinging its tail around and crashing it into the ice. The front of the block shattered, the block soaring back through the air and crashing into the wall, shattering into hundreds of small pieces. The crowd gasped, watching the event quickly unfold and the dragon's body hit the ground, its eyes replaced by swirls.

"AND DRUDDIGON IS OUT! WITH A SURPRISE ICE BEAM, TYRANITAR QUICKLY SNATCHED VICTORY WITH THE BRUTE STRENGTH IN ITS TAIL!" Goodshow announced, the crowd cheering wildly as the dragon was returned to its pokeball. Alder switched it with another, tossing it into the air and releasing a floating pair of connected ice cream cones.

_"Vanilluxe...I can tell by its appearance its fast, but I bet its attacks don't pack much power...But its defensive powers are low as well, we could easily finish this with one attack...But it would be too fast for Stone Edge, it would have to be a wide-scale attack..."_ Ash thought, staring at the ice-type intently. He pulled the sphere from his pocket, recalling the tyrant to the crowd's surprise. Pulling another, he grinned as he felt the power in his palm emenating from the sphere. "You've waited patiently, big guy...I know Hilbert can get pretty boring, so here you go!" Ash tossed the sphere the light bursting from it and crashing down onto the field. The crowd watched in surprise as the light took a large form, but before it faded, a large flame burst from the top with a devastating roar.

* * *

><p>"What is <em>that<em>?!" Max gasped, eyes wide at the still-forming figure.

"There's only one pokemon that could fit that entrance...!" Brock stated, Hilbert nodding with a frown.

"Unfortunately, you're right..." he whimpered, Hilda glaring at the man trying to lean and hide behind her.

* * *

><p>"AND WITH A POWERFUL ENTRANCE, ASH'S NEXT POKEMON IS RELEASED! BUT BY THE LOOKS OF IT, THIS MONSTER IS EVEN GREATER THAN TYRANITAR!" Goodshow announced, Ash grinning. The light finally cut off, revealing the large orange-winged creature. Roaring again, the flame on its tail glowed brighter and larger, its eyes striking fear into everyone looking at it. "A-AND THE POKEMON IS A CHARIZARD! WITH THE POWER AND INTIMIDATION DISPLAYED IN THE FIRST FEW SECONDS OF BEING ON THE FIELD, ADDED WITH A TYPE ADVANTAGE, I'M AFRAID TO SAY THIS MATCH MAY NOT LAST VERY LONG FOR VANILLUXE!"<p>

"T-That power...It's unbelievable..." Alder stared in shock at the fire-type, who glared piercingly at the ice-type, who cringed. "We're going to have to rely on it, then. We have to pray he doesn't have many physical attacks."

"Charizard, you don't have to scare everyone in the stadium," Ash rubbed the back of his head, the lizard looking back at him with a smirk, exhaling a small flame at the ground. "Fine, you can be yourself. Just try not to kill them, okay?" the lizard looked back at its opponent, Ash noticing the flame on his tail slightly decreasing in size. "Thank you."

"Vanilluxe, you can't let your guard down for a second. I'm afraid Goodshow was right with the type advantage, and that power might be too much to take directly," the ice-type nodded to its trainer.

"Finish this quickly with Flamethrower," the lizard opened its mouth, releasing a powerful stream of flames towards the floating ice-type. Its eyes wide at the attack's power, the ice-type quickly moved out of the way. But as the flames passed it, the heat still injured it as beads of sweat and water went down its side. Once the attack stopped, everyone looked at the wall behind Alder in shock and awe. Where the attack hit was a glowing crater, where the wall was melting and running down.

_"I...I can't believe that power...!"_ Alder stared in shock at the fire-type again, as did everyone in the stadium. The Kanto starter, ignoring all the looks it was being given, waited slightly impatient for Ash's next order.

"I said go easy, buddy," Ash chuckled, feeling amused at the fire-type. "Try again, but don't focus on one spot. Try to widen it a bit," the lizard drew its head back, snapping it forward and releasing another powerful flame, but it was more widened across the field.

"Light Screen!" the ice-type closed its eyes, a golden-glowing box appearing around it. The flames crashed into the box, but it withheld the attack until the flames stopped. The lizard glared at its opponent.

"Calm down, it won't be able to last more than two attacks. In order to hit it, you have to balance power and range. You know what that means, right?" the lizard nodded, the flame on its tail glowing brighter. "That's right, but don't go overboard with it," the lizard pretended to ignore that last sentence as it focused its power, the crowd watching eagerly. Alder watched the attack charging.

_"If he's focusing that much power, he must be planning to end this quickly...If that's just another Flamethrower Light Screen will be fine, but it could be plenty of other things..."_ Alder thought, noticing the lizard grinning.

"Alright, buddy, Overheat!" the lizard roared, releasing a powerful glowing flame from its mouth, more intense and bright than a Flamethrower. As before, it was ranged over the entire field, striking against the walls as it seared through the air across the field.

"Focus your Light Screen, as much as you can!" the ice-type closed its eyes, its body outlined in a golden-tinge as the box appeared around it again, glowing brighter. The flames crashed into the front, the ice-type's eyes widening as it noticed the wall begin to arch towards it. Its fear becoming stronger than its focus, it screamed its name in terror as the flames shattered the wall, flooding into it and enveloping its body in flames.

"Vanilluxe!" Alder shouted as his pokemon disappeared in the wave of glowing flames, only hearing its screaming as it received the devastating supereffective attack. Its scream passed Alder, the man turning around as he heard something hit the wall behind him.

"That should be enough, Charizard," the lizard nodded, cutting off the attack. The flames slowly disappeared across the field, revealing the ice-type hidden in the melting wall.

"AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT ATTACK WAS TOO MUCH FOR VANILLUXE TO TAKE! OR ANY ICE-TYPE TO TAKE, FOR THAT MATTER!" Goodshow announced, the crowd cheering again as Alder recalled his ice-type with a frown.

"Sorry, Charizard, but we have to give them a chance," the lizard glared back at his trainer, Ash frowning as he raised the sphere in his hand. "Sorry," the lizard released a stream of flames before he disappeared into the sphere with the beam, the man surprised as the flames only bounced off his vest without effect. "Huh, Hilbert made these flameproof..." Ash looked down admiringly at the vest, but was surprised as a flame was growing on the t-shirt under the vest. "But that's not!"

* * *

><p>"Teaches you to get Charizard to attack me, sucker..." Hilbert smirked, watching the man on the field smack at his chest repeatedly. "I make the vest flameproof to make you feel safe, then you realize the undershirt isn't. Bam, you're not safe, just like you always do to me..."<p>

"Stop narrating, idiot," Hilda sighed, smacking the man's head.

"Come on, this is the one time I can ever get him back. I have to enjoy it somehow," he told her, everyone watching the pair amusingly.

"Enjoy it in your head," she told him, the man frowning as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"Fine," he noticed the glint of the silver ring on her finger, unable to resist smiling as he noticed it again.

"What's gotten you so happy in a flash?" Paul asked, smirking as he noticed the same thing the man had. Hilbert looked at the Sinnoh Trainer, realizing he noticed.

"None of your business," he told him, looking back at the field.

"Of course, its only the business of two people, huh?" he continued smirking, looking at the field as well. Dawn put her hand on his, moving her mouth beside his ear.

"What's that about?" she whispered, the man glancing at her nervously from the space betwee them.

"If you behave now, I'll tell you later," he muttered, the blunette smiling happily as she relaxed back into her seat, not moving her hand from his.

* * *

><p>"You're up again, Heracross!" Ash called out, the sphere bursting open and releasing the Johto bug.<p>

"Heracross again, huh...He's already battled, so speed should finish this...Accelgor!" Alder called, his sphere releasing a blue bug about the size of Heracross, with its arms crossed.

"AND ITS ANOTHER BATTLE OF THE BUGS! BUT WITH ONE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH A MATCH IN THIS BATTLE, WILL HERACROSS BE ABLE TO LAST?" Goodshow asked, the crowd cheering as the two bugs stared each other down.

_"That's not good, Accelgors are known for speed...And the power they pack is no joke either, Alder's hoping to finish Heracross quickly because he's already battled..."_ Ash thought, looking intently at the opponent.

"Energy Ball!" the bug brought back its arm, a glowing green sphere forming and being thrown towards the Johto bug.

"Into the air with Brick Break!" the bugs wings extended, jumping into the air and holding itself up while its arms glowed red.

"After it with Close Combat!" the Unova bug darted back and forth across the field at an unbelievable speed, quickly moving into the air and coming face-to-face with Heracross. Surprised, the Johto bug brought its arms up to defend itself from the punches Accelgor began throwing, but it began moving faster. Heracross arms were tossed to the sides, receiving a barrage of punches and kicks without being able to defend.

"Frontflip with Megahorn!" the bug's horn glowed, flipping its body through the air. The horn crashed down on Accelgor, but it held on and swung around with Heracross' horn.

"Hit it to the ground, then Focus Blast!" jumping off the bug, it moved acrobatically through the air and delivered a swift kick to the bug's forehead, sending it hurtling back at the ground. It flipped again back towards Alder, throwing a glowing blue sphere at the bug in the process. As it landed gracefully by Alder, the sphere exploded on contact with its opponent.

"Heracross!" Ash called out, the dust settling slowly and revealing the bug knocked out on its chest.

"AND HERACROSS COULDN'T TAKE ACCELGOR'S SPEED! WITH ASH'S FIRST POKEMON OUT, WHAT POKEMON OF HIS WILL APPEAR NEXT?" Goodshow asked, Ash recalling his bug with a frown.

"You did your best, buddy, I'm still proud of you," Ash said to the sphere, clipping it back to his belt and looking at the bug across the field. Accelgor smirked at Ash, hopping back and forth slightly throwing small punches forward. _"That thing is definitely fast, I bet even Rotom would have troubles with it..."_ Ash thought, frowning as he pondered. _"Charizard's widened attacks wouldn't be fast enough to hit it, and I don't want to use the other three yet...That only leaves Tyranitar, but his defenses are impressive too..."_ Ash decided, grabbing the familiar sphere and tossing it into the air. The light struck the field, the tyrant appearing again.

"AND ITS ACCELGOR AND TYRANITAR! ACCELGOR MAY BE FAST, BUT IT COULD HAVE TROUBLE IF IT FACES TYRANITAR'S TAIL!" Goodshow stated, the crowd cheering as Accelgor motioned for Tyranitar to make a move.

"Don't let it make you angry, Tyranitar, that's just what it wants. Start with Stone Edge, then move into Earthquake once it touches down again," the tyrant released a wave of sharp stones towards the bug, but as Ash had predicted it jumped into the air. Tyranitar watched it come down gracefully, pounding its foot into the ground as it landed, violently shaking it.

"Accelgor, get closer evasively!" the bug began jumped back and forth rapidly, unfazed by the shaking as it moved so fast.

"He's using speed to block out the ground shaking...Tyranitar, Stone Edge," the wave of rocks flew at the oncoming bug, but it moved so fast the rocks were unable to come close to hitting it. The bug smirked, landing in front of the larger pokemon. Ash looked carefully at its feet on the ground, noticing something was different.

"Close Combat!" Alder called out, Ash realizing what was going to happen.

"Swing your tail down, then Ice Beam straight ahead after!" the green monster swung its tail crashing down into the ground, but the bug was too fast and dodged it. As Tyranitar was now turned around, it charged the ice-type attack in its mouth as it looked forward in the opposite direction from before. It fired the attack straight ahead as he was told, everyone watching in surprise as the bug had moved around the tyrant and planned to attack from behind, but it jumped right in the path of the attack! Alder's eyes widened as Accelgor became trapped in a block of ice from its own movement, dropping to the ground.

"But how...?!" Alder was in awe, shocked at how Ash could have foreseen it.

_"It's a good thing I noticed its footwork, Accelgor may be acrobatic and nimble but it doesn't hide how it's going to move next,"_ Ash thought with a smirk, the tyrant looking down at the ice with a smirk. "Send it back to Alder with your tail, then Dark Pulse," the tyrant swung its tail into the ice like it was playing golf, cracking it and sending it soaring back to Alder's side. It fired the dark-type attack quickly after, following it across the field. It crashed into the wall and shattered, releasing the bug but immediately being struck by the dark-type attack afterwards. Its body fell to the ground, Alder staring back at the bug in shock.

"Accelgor, you've got to get up!" Ash watched with a smirk as the bug didn't move, then his expression turned to surprise as its eyes opened, jumping to its feet by Alder's side.

"That thing took a direct hit from Tyranitar's tail and its still standing...?" Ash blinked in surprise, watching the bug jump over its trainer and land in front of him. "...Not bad."

"Accelgor, Focus Blast!" the bug threw a blue sphere at the dark-type. "Get in close with Bug Buzz!"

"Dark Pulse," the dark-type attack exploded with the sphere, but then a sharp annoying screech-like sound was heard echoing through the stadium. The crowd watched as the tyrant winced, taking a step back as the bug jumped repeatedly across the field, making the horrible sound as it moved.

"Now Close Combat!" the bug stopped, the tyrant looking surprised as the bug appeared in front of it, releasing a fury of punches and kicks. Tyranitar grunted, crossing its arms and lowering its head as it endured the attack. Accelgor backflipped low to the ground, delivering a swift kick to the tyrant's forehead and arching its neck back. The large pokemon's eyes snapped open, baring its teeth.

"Tyranitar, calm down. Remember, it's what h-" Ash stopped as the pokemon whipped its head forward again with a darkness glowing in its mouth, firing the dark-type attack at the bug. It quickly jumped back, landing on a hill as its opponent looked over at it angrily. It fired again, missing as the bug dodged again, next avoiding a wave of sharp stones.

"Energy Ball and Focus Blast together, then finish with Close Combat," Alder called, the bug forming a green and blue sphere in each hand and throwing them at the raging pokemon, then darting forward. The angry pokemon crossed its arms, taking both supereffective attacks head-on with an explosive contact on its arms. It lowered them, looking up angrily again at the smoke, surprised to see the small bug burst through. It swung its body around, delivering a single kick to the tyrant's cheek, whipping its head to the side followed by a furious barrage of attacks to its chest. Tyranitar grunted and winced as it took the powerful attack, dropping to its knees. The bug stopped, flipping back and standing a few feet from it as it remained still on its knees with its eyes closed. Then it fell forward, shaking the ground as its chin crashed against the ground, its nose landing inches away from the smirking bug.

"AND TYRANITAR HAS BEEN BROUGHT DOWN! ITS DEFENSES WERE JUST NOT ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH ACCELGOR'S SPEED AND ATTACKS!" the crowd cheered on Goodshow's announcement, Ash recalling the tyrant with a frown.

"Thanks, big guy, you did great," he swapped the sphere in his hand with another on his belt, then hesitating. _"Wait...If Tyranitar lost control to anger from this battle, then there's no doubt Charizard would as well...And if he's fast, that means the battle will be in his favor..."_ Ash clipped the sphere on his belt again, taking another and tossing it into the air. As the light emerged from the sphere it took form in the sky, flipping in the air before landing back on the ground. It brought one leg and one arm back, holding the opposites cautiously forward as the light faded off its body.

"AND NOW GALLADE HAS ENTERED THE BATTLEFIELD! ACCELGOR HAS GREAT SPEED AND POWER, BUT FROM WHAT WE'VE SEEN OF GALLADE, IT IS NOT TO BE UNDERESTIMATED!" the crowd cheered, the bug smirking as it looked at its new opponent.

"Bug Buzz!" the bug emitted the sharp screech like before, the psychic-type wincing.

"Move your mental senses to a lower level," Ash called, confusing the crowd. The psychic-type closed its eyes, moments later opening them again while glowing a light blue. The bug continued to use the attack, but the psychic-type remained unfazed looking as if it didn't know the bug-type was using an attack.

"How is it not affecting it? Bug-type moves are supereffective on psychic-types..." Alder stared oddly at the human-like figure.

"It's because he's a psychic-type," Ash called out, the older man looking at him. "Psychic-types are able to control the power level of their senses, just as human psychics and fortune-tellers are able to raise theirs temporarily. This is the same technique, but reversed," Ash explained, the psychic-type giving a nod. "In other words, Gallade weakened his hearing so the attack wouldn't reach his mind."

"I've never heard of that being done before..." Alder muttered, looking impressed at the psychic-type. "Interesting. Change of plans, move in with Energy Ball!" the bug formed a green sphere in its palm, jumping rapidly as it moved across the rocky field.

"Get ready," the psychic-type moved to a defensive pose, watching carefully as the bug got closer. Its opponent got closer and closer, then as it was a few feet from it, it threw the sphere at the ground between them, exploding and lifting a cloud of dust. "Close your eyes and focus on finding its body heat signature," the psychic-type closed its eyes, preventing the dust from affecting it. Its body became outlined in a light blue glow, its thoughts scanning a mental image of the battlefield. Then it found where the bug-type was.

_"Lade,"_ it grunted, opening its eyes again.

"Leaf Blade," the psychic-type burst through the dust, the blades on its elbows glowing green as it slashed across the hill, the blades striking right through it. The rock crumbled from the top, reduced to a pile of stones revealing the bug hiding behind it. "Night Slash," the glow turned dark, lunging across the hill remains at the bug-type.

"Dodge and use Focus Blast!" the bug jumped into the air, throwing a blue sphere down at its opponent. But Gallade cut right through it, jumping into the air after it. "Close Combat!"

"Counter that!" the two began unleashing a fury of attacks on each other, a single hit landing every now and then on both sides. _"That's four times now...It's got to be soon..."_

_"That Close Combat...Gallade doesn't have any intent for harm with those hits, so why is he using that?"_ Alder pondered, looking oddly at the pair fighting in the air. "Bug Buzz, then switch attacks!"

"Switch? But to what?" Ash asked himself, looking up at the bug as it prepared to release the horrible-sounding attack. "Gallade, just counter its next move!" the psychic-type nodded, closing its eyes and weakened its hearing level mentally. It focused on the bug, the human-like pokemon's thoughts drifting and fading before it managed to focus on the bug. It focused on that thought for a split-moment, then it opened its eyes again. The bug released the horrible sound, the psychic-type unaffected by it. Then the bug disappeared. The psychic-type focused a dark power in its left elbow blade, focusing it stronger than before as it grew in size and intensity. The figure glanced back, spinning its body and lifting its leg, catching the bug's fist, surprising it. It kicked away the opponent's fist, bringing its arm around and slashing across the bug's chest, the pokemon making a pained grunt.

"But how?!" Alder asked, watching in shock as the psychic-type turned the moment around.

"Now send it to the ground with Psychic," the figure's eyes flashed blue, the bug becoming outlined in a light blue. Knowing what followed, the bug closed its eyes as it hurtled through the air crashing into the ground through a boulder. "Leaf Blade," the psychic-type's blades glowed green again, holding its arms together so its blades pointed down. It stretched its legs straight up into the air, spinning its body as it dove down through the air like a bullet, gradually gaining speed until crashing into the ground where the bug was, nearly exploding debris and stones into the air and around the field. As the dust slowly settled, the crowd saw the psychic pokemon backflip out of the cloud and back by Ash's side. Once it finally settled completely, the bug was standing up.

"Accelgor, you're okay!" the bug nodded, jumping back to its trainer. Ash looked at it intently, noticing it was finally panting.

_"That's what I've been waiting for,"_ he smirked, the psychic-type glancing back at him, noticing he picked up on something. "Close Combat," the fighting-type darted forward, dashing down the field towards its opponent.

"Close Combat!" the bug raised its fists, stumbling to the side.

"It's no use," Ash muttered, the fighting-type reaching the bug and delivering an uppercut to its chin, sending it into the air. Jumping after it, it released a barrage of attacks. "You've used Close Combat four times, so your defenses must almost be at the lowest point. There's no way you can come back from this with that much of a setback," Ash explained, the psychic-type landing safely on the ground and watching the bug crash down beside it. He walked calmly back towards Ash, but the crowd watched in surprise as the bug slowly got to its feet. Gallade turned around, surprised to see the bug trying to walk towards it, but stumbling. "Finish with Night Slash," the psychic-type's blade glowed dark, swinging its body around and sending its blade into the bug's chest, forcing it back past Alder into the wall, crashing down into the ground again without moving after.

"AND GALLADE'S PROWESS IS TRIUMPHANT! ACCELGOR JUST COULDN'T HANDLE THE PRESSURE ANYMORE!" Goodshow announced, the crowd cheering wildly. The bug was returned in the red beam of light, the older man frowning as he switched it with another in his hand.

"I actually didn't expect to be brought down to this...But you will regret making me do this! Bouffalant!" the man tossed the sphere, releasing the buffalo-like pokemon treading its foot in the ground.

"AND ITS HIS STAR POKEMON, BOUFFALANT! WITH MANY VICTORIES UNDER ITS BELT, GALLADE'S SPEED MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH TO PULL THROUGH!" the bull stomped its foot, staring down at its opponent as it shook its mane.

"Gallade, start with Psychic," the human-like figure's eyes flashed blue, the bull becoming outlined in blue as it was lifted into the air. "Close Combat," the fighting-type jumped at it, releasing multiple punches and kicks to the bull.

"Stone Edge!" small sharp stones appeared all around the bull, piercing into the unsuspecting psychic-type's body. He grunted, retreating back to the ground and releasing his mental grip on the heavy creature. "Use the momentum in a Head Charge!" the bull's head of hair glowed an odd pulsing red and yellow, its feet hitting against the side of the hill it was floating above. It charged down the side of the hill, gaining speed quickly as it charged towards the surprised psychic-type.

"Leaf Blade!" the pokemon's blades extended in a green glow, crossing them as it dashed forward, swinging them from the side and crashing into the bull's head. But to its surprise, the bull merely pushed through and didn't seem fazed at all by the attack. The psychic-type's body was forced backwards, rolling a few times before it caught itself and landed on its feet. "It didn't even do anything?"

"And that's because of Bouffalant's ability, Sap Sipper. It makes Bouffalant immune to damage from grass-type attacks," Alder explained, the trainer looking at the bull somewhat impressed.

"Okay, well we're not making that mistake again. Night Slash," the psychic-type's blades glowed dark, charging forward.

"Stone Edge and aim for the legs," the bull formed several small stones around it, firing them forward at the running pokemon's feet. It jumped into the air. "Now after it, don't let it get through!" the stones changed direction, more stones forming around the bull as the psychic-type evasively dodged most of the stones in the air, a few grazing its sides and some scoring direct hits. "Megahorn!" the normal-type's horns glowed, swinging it up at the fighting-type's blades and clashing. But it pushed through, flipping the pokemon's body in the air, then sending its other horn into its shoulder. The psychic-type shouted in pain, being sent through the air then crashing and rolling on the ground. It quickly stood up, wincing as it tried not to move its shoulder, noticing a peculiar-looking scratch on it.

"Try to focus more on your other arm, okay? Don't strain that injury," Ash said quietly, the psychic-type giving a nod.

"Stone Edge," the stones flew towards the injured pokemon once more.

"Use Psychic as a barrier, stop anything within three feet," the psychic-type closed its eyes, its body glowing in an outline of blue as a barely-visible light blue sphere appeared around it. As the stones entered the sphere, they stopped in the air. "Now send them back," the pokemon opened its eyes, the stones turning around and being sent back at the bull and attacking it. "Now Close Combat again," the fighting pokemon sprinted forward, the bull watching it come closer.

"Earthquake!" the bull stomped its front feet into the ground, shaking it. The psychic-type lost its stability from its running and stopped, stumbling forward and tripping on a small stone, catching itself on its knees and hands. "Now Head Charge!" the bull's head glowed again, ramming into the unsuspecting opponent and sending it tumbling back to Ash again.

"Gallade, if it's too much then say so, I don't wan-" Ash stopped when the psychic-type held its hand out to the trainer, signalling him to stop as it got to its feet again.

"Finish with Stone Edge," the stones darted at the psychic-type again, the pokemon closing its eyes.

"Gallade, make a Psychic barrier once more," the pokemon focused its psychic power, forming the sphere. But it quickly disappeared again. "Gallade? What's wrong?" the pokemon opened its eyes, smirking as it knew its power was done. It closed its eyes, letting the stones pierce into its skin. It dropped to its knees, then onto its side without further reaction.

"AND GALLADE IS DOWN FOR THE COUNT! BOUFFALANT'S STONE EDGE WAS JUST TOO MUCH TO TAKE FOR TOO MANY TIMES!" Goodshow announced, the crowd cheering again as Ash crouched beside the psychic-type.

"You don't have to always be like this, you know. Going until the final hit, you can just tell me when you're almost done and I'll call it," he chuckled weakly, the pokemon smirking with a shake of its head.

_"Erlade gal, gal gallade,"_ he told the trainer, Ash smirking.

"Always stubborn as ever, I guess Froslass will never be enough, huh?" the pokemon chuckled, shuddering as it closed its eyes. Ash recalled the pokemon, smiling at the sphere before returning it to his belt. Standing and facing the bull again.

"NOW ASH REMAINS WITH THREE POKEMON, WHILE ALDER ONLY HAS TWO! BUT AS WELL ALL KNOW, ALDER HAS SAVED HIS TWO FAVORITES FOR LAST, AND I'M SURE THIS IS NO EXCEPTION FOR ASH EITHER! AT THIS POINT, WE WILL HAVE A TWENTY MINUTE BREAK FOR THE AUDIENCE TO GET REFRESHMENTS AND SNACKS. THE TRAINERS WILL BE ABLE TO CONVERSE WITH INDIVIDUALS CHOSEN BY THEMSELVES, AS WELL AS EACH OTHER."

**END**

**Hope that was an intense first start to the battle. I know some things probably don't make much sense, but I'm trying to make it interesting (I guess in a weird way). Hope you're not **_**too**_** mad about the long wait, took me a few days to think of how to do it, then a few to do it, then a few more to look back and fine-edit. I know, I'm weird.**

**How will the second half of the match go?  
>Who will be Ash's two remaining pokemon along with Charizard?<br>Who will be Alder's final pokemon along with Escavalier and Bouffalant?**


	60. Chapter 60

**Later than I hoped, of course, I initially thought of making this two chapters but ended up changing my mind. Here we have part 2 to the championship match of Ash vs. Alder. Both sides are down to three pokemon, and neither side are showing any signs of letting up. Anyway, let's get started.**

"So what do you guys want to do?" Hilbert asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

"What do you mean?" Max asked, looking oddly at the man.

"Well, we have twenty minutes until the match starts again," he shrugged. "So who's up for more snacks?"

"Then let's go see Ash, Goodshow said he can see people on this break, right?" Hilda asked, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, but he's the one who has to allow it. In other words, he can only sees the people he calls down himself," Brock stated, crossing his arms.

"Well I wouldn't stay comfortable, at least one of us will be down any minute," Paul crossed his arms, leaning back into the seat and closing his eyes.

"How do you figure that?"

"It's how he is, we all know that."

"AS PER REQUEST OF TRAINER ASH, COULD A HILBERT, PAUL AND BRENDAN GO DOWN TO HIS REST ROOM. THANK YOU."

"Told you," Paul said, standing and moving past the clingy blunette, escaping her grasp. Brendan and Hilbert stood as well, May reaching her arm out and flinching, pulling it back to her lap. Hilda watched quietly as the three men left up the stairs.

"What the heck is that crap?" Leaf sighed, leaning forward and her chin dropping into her palms.

"What do you mean?" May asked, looking confused.

"He didn't call me down..." she puffed her cheeks, giving a frustrated glare at the ground. The girls sweatdropped.

"Don't worry, Leaf, I'm sure he's got business with them. You'll be next, I'm sure," Misty patted her back, the brunette still frowning.

"What's more important than me...?"

* * *

><p>"So He's got Bouffalant left...Escavalier's almost out, but then he's got one last pokemon..." Ash muttered to himself, staring at the two spheres in his hand. "But there's no doubt who that one is..."<p>

"What's this? Ask Ketchum is _worrying_ about a battle?" Ash looked over to the doorway, noticing Hilbert stepping in with his arms crossed behind his head with a smirk, Paul and Brendan behind him.

"Not worrying, just carefully considering," he replied calmly, closing his hand.

"Suuure, and Ive got girls lining up for me," he replied sarcastically, sitting on the bench beside him. The mouse on the opposite side of Ash couldn't help but snickering.

"Even Pi thinks that's ridiculous. It's sad, Hilbert, you're being ridiculed by a pokemon," Ash smirked, the mouse nodding in agreement.

"He's just wishing he was in your place, Ash," Brendan told him, Hilbert looking at him with an arched brow. "Ash was in your ideal situation a few days ago, up until yesterday. Leaf, Hilda, May, Dawn, they all wanted him."

"Who says they don't want him anymore?" Paul asked the Hoenn trainer, sitting on the bench as Pikachu jumped onto his trainer's lap.

"Paul, there's no need for the charade," Ash told him, the three men looking at him oddly. "I think we can all be honest here, that's not true anymore. May, Dawn and Hilda each have a different path now."

"And what would those paths be?" Brendan asked, Ash giving a sigh.

"Seriously, do I have to spell it out for you like kindergarten again?" he asked, closing his eyes. "I wonder what they would think if I asked them where they were last night..."

"They would probably say mind your own business, or that they were in their room. Tent, in Hilda's case," Paul stated.

"Too bad that would be a lie, already heard Brock and Max this morning asking where May and Dawn were last night, meaning they weren't in their room. Luckily Hilda came back to the campsite, so Hilbert's off the hook," Hilbert exhaled relievingly, noticing a look in Ash's eye. "Not to mention, I happened to see where Dawn and May went myself."

"W-What?" Brendan's eyes widened, his palms growing sweaty.

"Yeah, and it certainly wasn't the room," he smirked, glancing at Hilbert. "You're lucky this time that Hilda came back."

"I know..." he sighed relievingly again, Brendan and Paul glancing at each other.

"So, you two, care to tell me where you think I saw them go?" he asked, the two growing warmer.

"Uh...I...I don't...know..." Brendan stuttered, glancing away.

"Wow, you two are worse liars than Zo," Hilbert smirked, amused.

"I'll count to three, last chance," Ash held his fist up, extending one finger.

"You're bluffing, you didn't see them."

"Wanna test that? One."

"How can we be sure you're telling the truth?"

"You can't. Two..."

"Alright, Ash, I think you've messed with them enough."

"No way, and th-"

"Okay, okay!" Brendan snapped, his cheeks flushing. "May spent the night in my room with me! Are you happy now?" Paul, Ash and Hilbert blinked in surprise.

"...You weakling," Paul sighed, lowering his head.

"Shut up! I heard Brock talking about helping Dawn carry you back to your room while you were passed out, so I bet the same thing happened with Dawn and you!" Brendan pointed at him accusingly, the man's cheeks turning red. Ash noticed this.

"That...Is..._Hilarious_," Ash chuckled, the mouse and Hilbert snickering behind him. Unable to hold it, the three burst into laughter, Brendan and Paul glaring at them angrily.

"Oh, shut it. Hilbert can only dream of that with Hilda, and I'm sure even Leaf hasn't done that with you yet," Paul muttered, Hilbert glaring back while Ash only smirked.

"You're a little late on that," he replied, the three looking at him surprised. "What? It's not like it's the rarest thing in the world for a couple to do."

"Wait, what? So you're finally open to it now?" Brendan asked, the trainer giving a nod.

"Had a talk just between us, things were said, we're together now. So you can all stop complaining and make a move yourselves. But for Brendan and Paul, I feel like the move was already made last night..." Ash smirked, glancing at Hilbert who smirked as well.

"...It's complicated, May and I are still trying to figure out what to do after yesterday," Brendan sighed, crossing his arms.

"I would believe that," Hilbert shrugged, then remembered something. "Oh yeah, Ash."

"What?" he asked, looking at the man beside him. Looking unamused, he stared blankly at Hilbert's sly and suspicious grin. "What do you want? Money?"

"Oh shut up," he sighed.

"Then what?"

"I saw the ring," Ash thought for a moment, then an image of his ring and Leaf flashed across his mind. "Care to tell us what that means? Hmm?"

"Nothing you need to know about," Ash replied calmly, crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah, I remember seeing the ring too. What is that about anyway?" Brendan asked, Paul nodding. The three stared at him, awaiting an answer.

"Don't worry, you don't have to really say," the trainer looked at Hilbert oddly. "I'm not completely stupid, I know what that means."

"Suure you do," he rolled his eyes, the man whispering in his ear. His expression didn't change for a few moments, then he sighed lowering his head in defeat.

"Nothing gets past this guy."

* * *

><p>"Don't you think those four have been talking a while now?" Iris asked, looking at the door.<p>

"Yeah, I think we should go check on them. Otherwise Leaf might go on a rampage," Max added quietly, glancing at the brunette who had a bad-feeling aura around her.

"Come on, Leaf, let's go," May said gently, taking the girl's arm. She snapped her eyes on her, May cringing and snatching her hand back. "N-Never mind."

* * *

><p>"So knowing you, I bet there's not even a plan for this, is there?" Paul asked, the trainer shaking his head. "Knew it."<p>

"Shut up. One, you're the first ones who know so keep it to yourself. Two, Hilbert stop looking at me like that," Ash sighed, pushing his palm into the sly-smirking man.

"Gah!" Hilbert leaned back, smakcing the man's hand away from his face defensively. "Fine, it's just funny. Never thought you-"

"Don't finish that."

"Fine, just 'cause Charizard is here. We'll be grown-ups about this."

"Then get out, I'll talk with Paul and Brendan."

"Ha! You just got burned!"

"Only metaphorically. _This_ time, anyway."

"Ha! Double burn!"

"Shut up, you two spent the night in a mall to hide from May and Dawn!"

"That was reasonable, angry women are terrifying and deadly creatures."

"Agreed."

"Agreed."

"Man, you guys suck," Hilbert sighed, scratching his nose. "Anyway, I think I'll go now, I've got nothing else to say here. Oh, except one thing."

"What do you want now?" Ash asked, watching the man walk silently towards the door. He stopped in front of it, looking over his shoulder back at him.

"Just don't forget to invite me, alright? No way in hell would I accept that," he smirked, the trainer looking surprised.

"That goes for me too," Brendan added, smiling.

"And I won't let you forget me," the three looked shocked, Paul looking at them oddly. "What? Once Troublesome hears about this, there's nowhere on Earth I can hide to prevent her from dragging me to this. I'll just make sure my name's on the table now, to make it easier."

"...Don't worry about it, you guys are definitely there," Ash smiled, Brendan and Hilbert smiling back while Paul could only smirk.

"But with that, I feel sorry for you, Paul," Hilbert chuckled, the man glaring at him. "As fun as the future looks for you bed-wise, I can only imagine you're gonna be the first to lose their mind," he laughed, opening the door. Sweat suddenly pouring down his neck, he couldn't move as the blunette's smiling face appeared, a dark aura forming around her.

"Hi, Hilbert," she greeted cheerfully, the man only falling over to the side.

"Screw it, I don't want to bother running...I give up this time..." he muttered depressingly, not moving on the floor. Dawn leaned forward in the doorway looking confused at the man, May looking over her.

"Dawn and May, nice of you to join us," Ash smirked, glancing at Brendan and Paul who were already glaring at him.

"Yeah, but we're not the ones you want to worry about right now. Leaf's gonna kill someone soon if you don't call her down here," May chuckled nervously, leaning in the doorway and looking at Brendan. "So you having a nice little guys chat?"

"Yeah, I got some interesting stuff here," Ash smirked, the brunette looking at him confused.

"Don't forget, so did we," Hilbert replied, getting to his feet.

"And I still have Charizard here."

"I'm leaving..." he muttered head low as he walked past the two girls and back towards the stairs leading to the stands.

"That was...Kind of depressing..." May sweatdropped, watching the man sulk to the stairs.

"Not at all...It was extremely," Ash chuckled. "So, what brings you down here?"

"Felt like letting you know about Leaf, making sure these two and Hilbert weren't getting into trouble," May glanced at the other two men, who frowned.

"Since when have we caused trouble?" Brendan asked, pretending to be hurt as he stood up.

"Many times, like a certain incident at the lake. Remember?" May crossed her arms, Dawn crossing hers as well. The two men cringed, knowing what they mean and looking away. Ash only watched, amused.

"You guys really do fight like a couple," he chuckled, looking at May and then Brendan. "And you two certainly look like a couple," looking at Dawn and Paul, the blunette smiled and nodded while the brunette's cheeks turning red.

"W-What?" she stuttered, her blue-haired friend in no denial at all as she skipped across the room, happily dropping herself onto Paul's lap without consent, wrapping her arms around him.

"Of course, why wouldn't we be?" she asked, the man giving a sigh. Brendan leaned against the wall, smirking at the sight of the two and looking back at the brunette. She looked at him, unable to resist an embarrassed smile coming across her face.

"Alright, enough love, there's a limit to how much I can take," the four frowned, looking at Ash unamused. He chuckled. "No offense, just...I thought there would be embarrassed denial, so that's what I was hoping for 'cause it's funny."

"So we're an amusement to you?" May asked, closing her eyes while her eyebrow twitched.

"Of course, it's always interesting around here with us," Ash smirked, looking at Brendan and Paul. "You mind giving us a minute?"

"...Fine by me," Paul replied, carefully picking up the blunette and setting her on her feet. He stood up, moving towards the door.

"Oh, never thought I would see this. Paul is trying to act jealous and worried," Ash laughed, the man stopping and looking back at him. "Don't worry, I'm not trying to steal Dawn or anything. Same to you, Brendan, May's safe with me," he looked at the other man, who simply nodded. The brunette blushed again, the blunette looking at him with a smile. The two men left the room.

"So we're safe with you, then?" Dawn asked, dropping her elbows onto her knees and smiling at the man.

"Of course, why wouldn't you be?" he asked, the brunette moving closer.

"I would certainly hope so, or we'll have to tell Leaf that you're nothing worth the time," she told him, the trainer giving a frown.

"That would be rude. Anyway, I'm glad to see you two have moved on to a better choice," he told them, the pair looking at him oddly. "As in Paul and Brendan. Moving on from me."

"What? What makes you think we liked you?" May asked, crossing her arms.

"Are you serious? After all those hints and signs through the years we traveled together, _now_ you choose to deny those feelings?" he asked.

"So you did notice them? You just ignored us, then?" the blunette puffed her cheeks, glaring at the trainer.

"No, I didn't notice them at the time. I was a child," he crossed his arms, the mouse crawling up his shoulder and jumping onto his head.

"Then when did you notice?" May asked, looking at him curiously.

"I had a few years alone before meeting Hilda and Hilbert, you think I just sat silently and did nothing all day every day?" he asked, the mouse lightly punching his head. "Alone with my pokemon, of course."

"Oh, well...It didn't cross my mind, I'll say that," she looked away, rubbing her arm. "Anyway, you realize we can't do anything about those feelings anymore, right? As hard as it is for me to accept, and I'm sure it is for Dawn too, but you have Leaf now."

"Yeah, and we can tell she makes you happy. So just get together already, okay?" she playfully poked her tongue out, winking at the trainer. He smirked.

"Already done," the girls look surprised. "Yeah, we're a couple so no more complaining about it. And about your old feelings for me, I was going to ask you to please lose those as fast as you can."

"...Of course, I'm not the kind of girl who sabotages another girl's happiness for my own," May's cheeks turned pink, tightening her arms crossed under her chest.

"I don't know if I can, you're just so hot now..." Dawn's lower lips dropped slightly in her smile, laughing quietly and suspiciously as a little drool began to appear in the corner of her mouth. Ash felt nervous, leaning away from the blunette as she leaned closer.

"Oh, good lord..." May sighed, grabbing the back of Dawn's collar and yanking her back.

"Ah-Ow!" she coughed, glaring up at the brunette.

"I couldn't be sure whether you were about to try to rape him or not, so I'm just taking the precaution. Come on, we're leaving," she dragged the blunette up, pushing her to the doorway.

"But whyyyy?" she whined, the brunette opening the door.

"Because you almost assaulted him. Sorry about that, by the way, you're just-" she stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks turning red again.

"I'm just what?" he asked, smirking amused. She huffed, turning away.

"Don't be flattered, I was just going to say you finally grew up from being a stupid child...You really grew up...Really..." she trailed off, her eyes focusing on his chest.

"May? You're starting to drool too," she snapped out of it, quickly wiping the corner of her mouth and glaring at the trainer.

"Also, one more thing before you go," he stood up, moving towards the pair.

"What is it?" Dawn asked, looking at him curiously. Their eyes trailed down to his chest again, returning to his own eyes when he snapped his fingers.

"I know I'm not your mentor anymore, I'm just a friend, but I want to say this to make sure you stay safe," he told them, their cheeks turning pink. "Be careful of early pregnancy, okay? Use safety."

SLAM!

"...Too subtle?"

_"Pi..."_

* * *

><p>"Jeez, that guy..." May sat down with a frustrated look, eyes closed and crossing her arms.<p>

"I take it that went well?" Misty asked, the brunette looking at her.

"He's still insensitive," she told her, the redhead nodding.

"Don't worry about it, it's just how he is," Brendan told her, patting her thigh.

"What's that all about, Brendan? Is that some kind of childhood friend perk between you two?" Iris asked slyly, looking back and forth between the two blushing teens.

"FOR THE LAST FEW MINUTES OF THIS BREAK, COULD LEAF, THE SEMI-FINALIST, GO DOWN TO ASH'S REST ROOM. AND HILBERT AND HILDA PLEASE GO TO ALDER'S REST ROOM."

"Alder's? What's that about?" Max asked, looking at the pair.

"You got me, I have no clue," Hilbert shrugged, looking at the brunette beside him. She shook her head. "Well, regardless, let's go."

"Wow, Leaf moves fast," Brendan chuckled, noticing the brunette was already gone.

* * *

><p>"A buck says I get slapped," Ash chuckled, the mouse rubbing his chin.<p>

_"Chu."_

"You think a punch? No way, so you're on," he smirked, the mouse smirking as well crossing his arms. The pair waited quietly. "...I'm expecting the door to break down soon."

_"Kapi."_

"Probably not, but exagerration is a part of life," Ash shrugged, hearing a knock at the door. "She wouldn't knock...Would she, Pi?"

_"Kachu, pika pi,"_ the mouse shrugged, Ash giving a sigh.

"That doesn't relate to the point," he told the mouse, standing and reaching for the handle. Opening the door, his eyes met the smiling brunette's.

"About time," she puffed her cheeks frustrated, moving past him. He rolled his eyes, closing the door.

"And here I was, thinking you would be normal for once," he chuckled, the brunette turning to face him with a frown.

"So I'm not normal?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"No way, are you kidding me?" he laughed, sitting on the bench again. "But that's what makes you different, so it's a good thing."

"Well I guess I'll forgive you then," she giggled, sitting down on the trainer's lap with her legs hanging off the side of his left thigh, wrapping her arms around him. "So, what is it?"

"Just wanted to see you. Is that not enough?" he smirked, the brunette smiling again.

"I'm flattered you think so, but I can tell when you're lying," she replied, the trainer rolling his eyes.

"I guess nothing gets past you. The battle's three on three now, and at this point it's pretty much an all-out war between our strongest," he explained.

"So what? Your pokemon are stronger than any other in the world," she told him, the trainer shaking his head.

"No, that's it. I'm not the strongest, that fact can be nothing but a dream. I've been through five regions in the world, but there's still more out there. I've heard the Kalos region is supposed to be only for the toughest around," he stated, the brunette pulling his cheek.

"Stop thinking like that. You'll just have to visit the Kalos region next then, it will be no sweat for you," she told him, smiling.

"I don't know, it's just...Even if I win here, I'll be known as the strongest within Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova. The champion has to come back to this tournament every time it's held to defend the title, so the runner-ups are really the most dangerous," he told her, the brunette looking confused.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"If the one who comes in second in the tournament comes back when it's held again, they'll be even stronger than before. And if that runner-up is Alder, then there's no way I could take him on again. So if I win here, then I'll just lose another time," he explained, the brunette giving a sigh.

"So you're telling me you're going to give up on this match, when you're so close? And you're going to stop training forever?" she asked, the trainer giving her an odd look.

"No, I didn't say-"

"Then stop saying these things! That's what your words are saying, even if that's not what your thoughts say. Just stop worrying and get back out there, fight your best and beat him. That's how you usually handle battles, so don't make this any different," she told him, the trainer arching an eyebrow.

"You're thinking about this more than I am..." the girl rolled her eyes, smiling.

"Well, you never were much of a thinker," she poked her tongue out playfully, tapping his nose. He frowned. "But that's part of why I fell in love with you, so that's a good thing then."

"I guess I can forgive you this once," he chuckled, the girl shaking her head in amusement. "I think the battle's going to start soon, so you should probably head back."

"Nope," she replied, resting her head on his shoulder with her cheek against his. "I want to enjoy this time we have together."

"We can have plenty after the tournament, you realize that, right?" he asked, the girl not responding.

"COULD TRAINERS RETURN TO THE BATTLEFIELD, THE MATCH WILL RESUME IN TWO MINUTES."

"See?" he nudged the brunette's hip, the girl giving a sigh as she stood up, crossing her arms.

"You like to kill the moment, don't you?" she asked, feeling frustrated as she moved to the door. Feeling a pair of arms snake around her waist, her back felt a body push against it and his chin resting on her shoulder.

"Then how about after the match, tonight we can have as long of a moment you want?" he whispered, a shiver going down the brunette's spine at his breath on her neck.

"F...Fine," she tried her hardest not to make a noise, knowing he would tease her for it. She turned her body in his embrace, pushing her chest against his as she reached up and pressed her lips against his. She pulled away again, moving her lips to his ear. "But you do whatever I say, and I'm not letting you escape."

"...Uh huh..." was all the trainer said. He knew the girl meant shopping, but his mind insisted on wandering into sexual thoughts. Needless to say, he liked them.

"Is that really what you think I meant?"

"No, but I can still dream...When do you-"

"Not for a while. A _long_ while."

* * *

><p>"Seriously? You're trusting <em>us<em> to do that?" Hilbert asked, looking amazed at the older man.

"Of course. You two are young, knowledgeable and I feel like I can trust you," he told them.

"You want to rethink that last part? This is Hilbert, after all," Hilda sighed, the younger man crossing his arms behind his head with a grin.

"What are you talking about? I got this in the bag, you can count on me," he stated, the girl giving him a suspicious look.

"That's the spirit! Now you should head back to your seats, and keep that in mind, okay?" he asked.

"No problem."

"Alright, if you're sure."

* * *

><p>"THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH FOR THE TITLE OF STRONGEST POKEMON TRAINER, BETWEEN ALDER THE UNOVA CHAMPION AND ASH OF KANTO, WILL NOW RESUME!" Goodshow announced, both trainers taking their spots once again in their boxes. Both tossing their spheres into the air, the battle started again as Alder's armored bug appeared and Ash's fire lizard stomped the ground with a fierce flame shot into the air. "AND AS THE BATTLE COMMENCES AGAIN, IT STARTS OFF BETWEEN ESCAVALIER AND CHARIZARD! TO ANY NORMAL PERSON'S EYES, ASH CLEARLY HAS A MAJOR ADVANTAGE HERE!"<p>

"But advantage isn't everything," Ash told himself, the mouse knowing he was trying not to get cocky.

"AND NOW, WITH THE BATTLE BEYOND THE HALFWAY POINT, WE WILL SWITCH THE BATTLEFIELD! INSTEAD OF HAVING AN ELEMENT ON THE FIELD CHOSEN BY CHANCE, THE FIELD WILL BE CHANGED TO STANDARD-ISSUE LEAGUE BATTLEFIELD!" the ground shook as the rocky terrain disappeared from beneath the pokemon, the lizard taking into the air quickly as the ground moved from beneath its feet. Everyone watched as a standard field rose into place, dark blue in color with a large glowing pokeball design in the center. "NOW THE MATCH MAY BEGIN!"

"Standard issue? I never even knew they had that," Ash said to the mouse, looking puzzled as he scratched the back of his head. The mouse scratched its neck in embarrassement at the trainer's lack of knowledge.

"If he won't take the first move, I will! Escavalier, Aerial Ace!" the bug darted forward, disappearing.

"Level your wings, Flamethrower when you find it," the lizard closed its eyes, leveling its wings out to the sides and waited. Everyone in the stadium watched in confusion as the lizard didn't move, eagerly awaiting the bug-type's attack.

* * *

><p>"What is he doing?" Dawn asked.<p>

"He's clearly waiting, Dawn," Max stated. "What for...I'm not exactly sure myself."

"He's waiting to counter Escavalier's attack," the group looked at Hilbert, who was watching the lizard with a smirk.

"You shouldn't be surprised, really. Ash comes up with the strangest, but most effective ways to battle," Hilda added with a smile. "Just think about the situation."

"Escavalier is using Aerial Ace...What's so special about that?" May asked, Hilda and Hilbert not replying.

"It's a flying-type move, but a lot of pokemon can use it. It manipulates the user's speed into a movement too fast for an untrained eye to watch..." Paul explained, then it dawned on him. "Of course, only he would think of something like that."

"Like what? Shaaaaree," Dawn whined, clutching his arm tighter. The man sighed.

"Charizard is part flying-type, same as Aerial Ace. And a lot of flying-types are able to use their wings to read what's around them," he told them, Hilbert giving a nod.

"Exactly, Paul."

"What do you two mean?"

"Charizard's reading the wind."

* * *

><p><em>"We've trained on this for months, there's no way Charizard can miss it,"<em> Ash thought with a smirk, the fire-type remaining perfectly still. Moments continued to pass in silence as everyone waited for the bug-type to attack. Charizard suddenly snapped its eyes open, turning its head to the left and releasing a searing flame from its mouth. The flame hit something a short distance away, revealed to be Escavalier as it was sent crashing back into the wall, the flames surrounding it.

"Escavalier, you can handle it!" Alder encuoraged the bug, its body wavering in the air as the flames stopped.

"One more Flamethrower should finish this," Ash stated, the lizard giving a nod.

"Escavalier, Aerial Ace again!" the bug darted forward, disappearing like before. The Kanto starter leveled its wings as it closed its eyes and opened its mouth, the flame growing hotter in its throat. The lizard flapped its wings, quickly taking into the air as the bug appeared bursting towards it, but missed as the lizard took off the ground. Looking up, the bug was conscious for the last moment as it saw the intense flames leaving the fire-type's mouth.

"AND ESCAVALIER IS DOWN FOR THE COUNT! WITH THE POWER IN CHARIZARD'S ATTACKS, IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN SURVIVE ITS STRENGTH?" Goodshow asked, the crowd cheering as Alder recalled the charred bug. Clipping the sphere back onto his belt, he stared at the fire-type landing on the ground again.

_"It's definitely powerful, there's no doubt about that. It's two on three now, and using my trump card against it would draw out too long...It's only attacks so far are Flamethrower and Overheat, and Overheat is a little weaker after its one use...It's risky, but I have to trust him," _Alder thought, taking another sphere in his hand and tossing it. As the light formed on the field, it faded and revealed the bull stomping and pulling back on the ground.

"AND IT'S BOUFFALANT! AFTER ITS TRIUMPH OVER THE SPEEDY GALLADE, WILL THE POWERFUL CHARIZARD BE ENOUGH TO TAKE IT DOWN?" Goodshow announced enthusiastically, the crowd erupting into cheer as the battle continued.

"Charizard, I want you to keep your guard up against him. When you're in the air, he's going to use Stone Edge and that attack defeated Gallade in a matter of minutes, they're nothing to laugh about," Ash told the fire-type, the lizard only breathing a small flame to the side.

"Bouffalant, Earthquake!" the bull pounded its front hooves into the ground, shaking the field violently. The lizard took into the air, glancing back at its trainer with a grin.

"You want to show them how to do it?" the lizard nodded, flying straight into the air before drawing in its wings, falling back at the field not slowing down.

_"What is he- Oh, no!"_ "Bouffalant, down on your knees and brace yourself!" the bull dropped down onto its knees, bracing for an impact. Ash and the fire-type noticed this.

"Now close in with Dragon Pulse," the dragon extended its wings and pulled up, gliding mere inches above the ground with a blue sphere glowing between its claws. The bull's eyes snapped open upon hearing the voice, looking up to defend itself. But it was too late, as the sphere exploded on impact with its forehead. "Air Slash, then come back around."

"Break it down!" Ash gave a puzzled look at the man's command, watching the bull turn around and thrust its back hooves into the air at the attack. Surprisingly, a strong burst of air struck through the attack, the attack dissipating. "Interesting...Drop down again."

"Brace yourself!" Alder's bull dropped to its knees again, Ash looking at it with an eyebrow arched.

_"He's seriously falling for it again?"_ Ash wondered, looking oddly at the man as Charizard pulled up again, repeating their previous attack. Then he noticed Alder's smirk. _"Unless he's got a counter-measure."_

"Endure it!" the bull took the blue sphere head-on, smoke erupting around it. Alder looked calmly at the smoke, seeing the lizard's shape. "Stone Edge!"

"Out of there, now!" Ash snapped, the lizard bringing its wings down roughly and immediately clearing the smoke. The lizard glanced around, seeing several sharp floating stones surrounding it and the bull. It quickly took into the air, the stones following after it.

"Don't lose it!" Alder commanded, the bull controlling the stones carefully after the lizard.

"Move evasively, back-around retaliations, but focus on accuracy over power!" Ash told his pokemon, the lizard nodding with a glint in its eye as it began flying more skillfully, dodging with mid-air rolls and sharp turns. As it turned its body over, it shot a single ball of flames back, taking down the stones one at a time.

* * *

><p>"You gotta admit, Charizard's got moves," Brendan remarked, glancing at Hilbert with a smirk.<p>

"Shut up, he learns those from sneaking up on me all the time," Hilbert muttered.

"Come on, Hilbert, I'm sure they've done actual training to learn that," Paul replied, the man shaking his head.

"You're right, but _I_ was the training. He used me as a moving _target_ without my permission!"

"But you pissed him off all the time, Hilbert. You brought it on yourself."

"Not all the time! Half of those were just 'cause he was bored! The man's a psychopath!"

"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that," Hilda shook her head in amusement with a sigh.

"Yeah, Charizard! Do a barrel-roll!" Max cheered, everyone looking at him oddly.

"His internet time is cut short as of today," Brock stated. Everyone nodded.

* * *

><p><em>"He dodges everything I throw at him perfectly. That Charizard dodges like a pro, his powers are impossible to withstand, and his trainer thinks on his feet in a split-second!"<em> Alder thought to himself, watching the lizard land safely again by Ash, charred pieces of rubble falling from the air around it. _"But there has to be something...They've got to have a weakness...!"_

"Are your wings okay, Charizard?" Ash asked, the lizard giving a nod without looking back. He extended his right wing out a little, Ash noticing a few small scratches along the crease on the inside of his wing. _"I guess some stones managed to graze him...Without flight, we're done for against that Stone Edge..."_

_"If I use Stone Edge, they will just fly away and keep dodging like just now...There has to be a way to prevent them from- That's it! Charizard's wings!"_ Alder smirked, the bull dragging its hoof back along the ground with a grunt. "Bouffalant, charge!"

"You can't be serious..." Ash said to himself, both him and the fire-type watching amused as the bull charged forward. "Okay...Whatever..." Ash's mind began going through possible scenarios, wondering what the man could possibly have planned. _"He knows Charizard is powerful, so he must know we can simply stop him with our bare hands...Unless, that could be what he wants..."_ Ash looked at the bull carefully, then the older man across the field. "Extend your wings and prepare for flight, stop it in its tracks," the lizard nodded, extending its wings out and holding its arms forward.

* * *

><p>"What's he thinking? If Charizard stops Bouffalant with his bare hands, then Bouffalant's going to use Stone Edge and have him held in place!" Iris exclaimed, looking confused at the trainer's action.<p>

"Ash doesn't do something without thinking, so he definitely has a plan. Alder is planning to use Stone Edge, without a doubt because breaking through Charizard strength is impossible. He must be anticipating Ash to do something in particular..." Brendan thought out loud, watching the bull closely.

"What if he knows what Ash and Charizard will do after they catch Bouffalant?" May asked, the man looking at her in curiosity. "It's just an idea. I mean, what has Charizard been doing the whole time?"

"She's right. Alder must have noticed by now that with Stone Edge being that powerful, not to mention supereffective against Charizard, they're relying on one thing to hold their own against it," Paul stated, Hilda looking at Charizard in realization. Two parts in particular.

"Their flight..."

* * *

><p>"Take him down!" Alder supported the bull, the pokemon giving an angry shout as it neared the fire-type.<p>

"As if," Ash scoffed, the bull colliding with the lizard's palms, stopping it dead in its tracks.

"Now Stone Edge!" as the lizard and his trainer anticipated, several sharp stones appeared in the air around the pair.

"Let's make it interesting, Charizard. Into the air with Bouffalant on your back!" the bull's eyes widened, seeing the lizard suddenly turn to the side, bringing its tail under the bull and lifting him up onto its back, taking into the air carrying it. Alder's eyes widened.

_"No way! Charizard's strong enough to lift Bouffalant like he's weightless!"_ Alder watched in shock as his planned backfired, the stones following closely after the lizard. _"If that attack continues, the stones will hit Bouffalant as a shield!"_ then an idea came to him. Alder noticed Charizard's arms were holding onto Bouffalant's front legs. But not his back legs.

"Let's see you attack now," Ash smirked, watching the stones get closer to hitting the bull.

"Take him to the ground!" the bull's eyes snapped open, giving a grunt as it pushed its back hooves off the fire-type's back.

"What?" Ash watched the bull's lower half swing back, confused. Then his eyes widened. "No! Charizard, let go of it!" but it was too late. The bull's back legs had already swung back forward, the hooves forcing themselves into the fire-type's lower back. The fire-type grunted in pain, stumbling in the air as the pain swelled in its back, its wings starting to twitch. "Charizard, steady yourself!"

"Get back on ground!" the bull squirmed its front legs out of the lizard's grasp, falling to the ground before crashing down, sliding along the ground from the momentum. "Now take it down for good!" the bull turned on its heels, another round of sharp stones appearing around it.

"Charizard, you have to focus! Move!" Ash barked, but the fire-type only struggled to overcome the growing pain in its back. _"No good, at this rate Charizard won't be able to handle both attacks directly..."_ Ash clenched his teeth, watching the two rounds of stones darting at the struggling fire-type. _"...Looks like we'll have to give it up,"_ "Charizard, defense stand! You have to!" the lizard hesitated, then nodded. It brought its tail forward, holding it against its chest and crossing its arms over it, drawing its neck in and closing its eyes, drawing its knees up and wrapping its wings around its entire body, encasing itself in the shape of a sphere. Some stones pierced the lizard's wings from every direction, unable to get through to its body as it began to fall from the air. It crashed onto the ground, more stones piercing into its skin.

* * *

><p>"Ash is actually backed into a corner, and with Charizard..." Hilbert muttered, sounding surprised.<p>

"How can you tell that?" Leaf asked, looking at the man confused. "Charizard's really powerful, so he should be able to stand it."

"It's not this attack that's the problem," she looked at Paul, who had his arms crossed with a disappointed look on his face. "Ash had to resort to that defense to be able to withstand both those attacks. You are right, Charizard won't go down from that alone, no way, but the battle will be in Bouffalant's favor from here on."

"Sadly, I gotta agree with you," Brendan frowned. "They've relied on flight up until now, but after that, they can't rely on it. A flying-type's wings can be pretty sensitive, and after using its wings alone for a defense against a powerful attack like that, Charizard's wings took all the damage. There's no way even Charizard can shake that off."

"With Charizard's wings hurt, then they won't be able to fly," Hilda added, frowning. "Charizard's a big and heavy pokemon, and now if they can't fly..."

"They're more vulnerable to Stone Edge."

* * *

><p>"AND CHARIZARD HAS TAKEN A MASSIVE BEATING FROM A DOUBLE STONE EDGE ATTACK! BUT DEFENDING ITSELF WITH ITS WINGS, ITS BODY HAS NOT TAKEN DAMAGE IN THE SLIGHTEST! SHOWING FROM ITS PREVIOUS BATTLES, I'M POSITIVE HE WILL NOT BE DEFEATED FROM THIS!" Goodshow spoke into the microphone, everyone in the stadium watching the fire-type in anticipation.<p>

_"Charizard...You have to be alright...You've taken worse than that..."_ Ash thought, but he was unable to resist feeling fear of doubt in his mind. Then the trainer noticed something. Not about Charizard, but about himself...He was beginning to sweat. _"What the...? Jeez, why am I getting hot all of a sudden...?"_ he thought, rubbing his forehead. Then it hit him. Looking at the fire-type, he noticed the wings beginning to move. And the source of the heat emenated from within its wings. _"Oh, no..."_

* * *

><p>"What's going on?" May asked, looking confused at the motionless lizard.<p>

"He couldn't have been defeated from that, there's no way," Hilda muttered, trying to think of what was happening on the field.

"...No...No, that can't be it...No, no, please let me be wrong..." everyone looked at Hilbert, noticing his eyes were slightly widened, fear shining clearly in his eyes.

"Hilbert, what?" What's happening?" Leaf asked, everyone looking confused.

"This is definitely not good...Not good at all..." Hilbert chuckled nervously, still looking afraid.

"Tell us what's going on, idiot," Hilda hit his shoulder, the man turning his head towards the group. His eyes still showed fear, but they now looked empty as if he was staring at nothing.

"If I'm right...Everyone in this stadium is screwed."

* * *

><p>"Charizard...?" Ash asked carefully, looking oddly at the fire-type. He rubbed the sweat from his neck, noticing the fire-type's wings begin to tremble. "You alright...old pal...?"<p>

_"What is happening over there...? I know I couldn't have defeated him, but...Something's happening to Charizard..." _Alder thought, the man and his bull watching the fire-type carefully. Suddenly, Ash heard a growl.

"Chari-" a suddenly much more powerful heat wave washed over him, moving his hand to his forehead. "-...zard...?" as everyone in the stadium watched the pokemon in anticipation and worry, they all noticed the same thing. The fire-type's skin was beginning to glow.

"Is this...Its true power...?" Alder asked, his eyes widening as he felt fear wash over him.

"Charizard..." Ash watched as the fire-type's orange skin glowed brighter and brighter, his own skin feeling hotter. Then he realized it. "Wait...Charizard...There's only one thing that makes you like this..." the lizard growled again, his wings shifting slightly. Alder felt fear strike his chest as he noticed a slight gap in the lizard's wings. Within it, a piercing stare from a red-glowing eye.

"What...What is this...?" Alder asked himself, afraid as the eye's stare pierced through his own. Everyone saw the wings beginning to expand, stretching out to the sides. Every person in the stadium saw the lizard standing with its body and head held low, the fire-type's glowing eyes showing pure anger as it didn't take its eyes off Alder and Bouffalant. Its tail began sliding back through its legs, dragging across the floor. But what Ash feared the most...The flame on its tail was bigger, and glowed brighter than before.

"No...Charizard, no..." Ash muttered, feeling worried as the lizard slowly brought its neck and head up, still not taking his eyes off their opponents. He growled low for a few moments, then everyone in the stadium flinched as its voice was raised into a loud and spine-chilling roar. The flame on its tail continued to glow brighter, growing bigger as well as its skin glowing. "Not now...Not again..."

"WHAT IS THIS? CHARIZARD APPEARS TO BE FINE, BUT ITS GLOWING SKIN AND ITS FLAME GROWING BIGGER...COULD CHARIZARD BE DRAWING OUT EVEN MORE POWER FROM WITHIN? EVEN WITH HOW STRONG IT IS ALREADY SEEN AS, COULD IT TRULY BE _STRONGER_?" Goodshow asked, a slight tremble in his voice as even he felt afraid at the sight of the lizard, even in the safety of the viewing box high above. The lizard gave another blood-curling roar, giving a single powerful flap of its wings and spreading a strong wave of heat through the stadium. Everyone immediately rubbed their foreheads or necks, trying to get rid of the sweat.

"Charizard...please..." Ash muttered, trying to find his voice. Watching his pokemon in this situation, recalling memories of the previous times this happened, he could only feel regret in himself.

"AND NOW CHARIZARD IS GIVING OFF MUCH MORE HEAT! I'M EVEN FEELING THAT POWER FROM UP HERE, THIS IS TRULY LEGENDARY POWER!" Goodshow shouted into the mic, the lizard's eyes glancing around the stadium and seeing the several people watching. He drew his head back, releasing a stream of flames at the wall. But these flames were deep red, and upon impact with the wall, the surface around the point of impact glowed red as well and continued to expand outward. As the flames cut off, it revealed a large seared hole in the wall, Alder looking back up at the burning hole on the wall behind him.

"Im...Impossible...That power...!" Alder was unable to find words.

* * *

><p>"What's going on with Charizard?!" May asked, her eyes wide in shock.<p>

"I know Charizard's powerful, but to spread heat this powerful through the entire stadium...Even I didn't expect that..." Paul stated, rubbing his forehead.

"Hilbert, what's going on with him?" Leaf asked, looking at the scared man.

"It's Charizard...at his strongest..." he said quietly, looking at the fire-type. "When Charizard is mad, and I mean _extremely_ mad...And not feeling his best...It activates his true power..."

"Activates?" Brendan asked, looking confused. "Wait...That's his _ability_?"

"Yes...That's Blaze. And when Charizard is under the effects of Blaze, that means he's very angry...And the aftermath of his rampage is not pretty."

* * *

><p>"Charizard...We worked on Blaze...We trained to control this...You shouldn't be angry..." Ash muttered quietly, the lizard staring at the bull opposing him. The fire-type drew its breath, a powerful heat forming in its throat as it glared at its opponents.<p>

"Bouffalant, you can't let that hit you! You must be as far away from it as possible, or it's over!" Alder shouted, the bull stepping back in fear. The lizard didn't break eye contact for a split-second, the flame in its throat only growing stronger. The pokemon's voice reached out past the flame, growing louder as the moments passed. Then the details of its body disappeared, becoming a glowing blue form as it shrunk, disappearing into a sphere.

"I'm sorry, buddy...I can't let you continue like that...Not after last time..." Ash whispered, lowering the sphere to his belt and clipping it back on.

"WHAT'S THIS? ASH HAS RECALLED CHARIZARD, BUT IT APPEARS THE POWERFUL POKEMON WAS ABOUT TO DEAL THE FINISHING BLOW. WHY WOULD HE STOP IT AND NOT LET IT WIN THE BATTLE FOR HIM?" Goodshow asked, everyone in the stadium appearing confused. Ash frowned, looking towards the ref with a disappointed expression.

"I'm afraid that Charizard must be rendered unable to battle."

**END**

**What's going on? I know what is, but do you? Not hard to figure out, really, Charizard's powerful as we all know and with Blaze, his power would be devastating. Besides, I don't feel he would be able to be knocked out in that state.  
>Also, sorry for the millionth time for updating after such a long break. It is almost done, I swear, and I'm hoping to get this finished sooner rather than later. So the battle's now two vs two.<br>R&R, hope you're still here after all this time. I thank those of you who are, for being loyal.  
>Lastly, after these few final chapters are added, I plan on continuing with the Liberated Champions series' third installment!<strong>


	61. Chapter 61

**And we're back. Hopefully the battle is concluded by the end of this chapter, if not then I decided to have a small section in the next chapter and forgot to re-edit this note. Anyway, on to the final battle.  
>Also, as another note, real science does not exist in the pokemon world. We all know this, from stories, the show and games. Therefore, even if I have altered science slightly in the story previously, I am making science in this chapter so if it doesn't make sense, don't worry about it. It's Pokemon, come on it would be ridiculous if it actually made sense. <strong>

"WHAT IS THIS?! ASH HAS JUST REQUESTED TO ELIMINATE HIS OWN POKEMON FROM HIS ROSTER!" Goodshow shouted into the mic in surprise, the crowd gasping and murmuring amongst themselves.

"Is this truly what you have decided? If we clarify Charizard as unable to battle, he will not be able battle anymore until this match is finished," the ref told Ash, but the trainer nodded with a disappointed expression.

"It's what needs to be done, or else everyone would be in danger. It's for our safety," he replied, the ref hesitating before giving a nod. He raised his flag on Alder's side.

"Charizard is deemed unable to battle!"

"AND WITH THAT SURPRISE, ASH'S POWERHOUSE IS OUT OF THE MATCH!"

* * *

><p>"What is he thinking?!" Iris jumped up in exclamation.<p>

"He pulled Charizard out for the good of the people," Hilbert stated, crossing his arms. "You haven't seen Charizard with Blaze activated, have you?"

"Now that I think about it..." Misty trailed off in thought.

"In all the years I knew Ash, I don't think I've ever seen that happen," Brock told him, the Unova man giving a nod.

"Well, it's not a good result, I'll tell you that. The result is similar to what happened with his Infernape, if I recall that story correctly," he explained, the blunette looking at him in surprise.

"So when Blaze is activated, Charizard loses control of himself just like Infernape did?" she asked.

"Yeah, except Charizard is much more deadly. In his loss of control, his anger is heightened to the max and destroys just about anything around him. Especially anything that tries to move or escape," Hilbert said grimly, the others looking shocked. "So pulling out Charizard may have hurt his battle plan, but it saved the lives of everyone in this stadium."

* * *

><p><em>"I'm sorry, pal...I just couldn't let you go through that again..."<em> Ash thought with a frown, glancing down at the sphere on his belt. His hand moved over the sphere beside it, then his hand flinched. _"No...Not yet..."_

_"Pikapi!"_ the trainer looked down at the mouse beside him, its cheeks sparking with a grin. The trainer nodded, taking his hand off the sphere and crouching to the mouse's level.

"You know how dangerous that Stone Edge is, so you're going to rely on speed over power, alright? When you go in for a close-range attack, be careful of his horns and his back legs," the trainer explained, the mouse giving a nod and dashing out onto the field, releasing sparks from its cheeks.

"AND IT'S ASH'S PIKACHU UP NEXT! WITH BOTH TRAINERS USING THEIR ORIGINAL PARTNER, UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL ON BOTH TEAMS, THIS BATTLE IS SURE TO GET INTERESTING!" Goodshow announced excitedly, the crowd cheering loudly.

_"So it's his Pikachu next...He was able to defeat Red's Pikachu after a long battle, and he won against Trip's serperior through endurance..."_ Alder thought to himself, thinking carefully about how to approach this battle.

"Let's do this, Pi! Thunderbolt!" the mouse charged the electricity in its body to the sacs in its cheeks, releasing a powerful bolt towards the bull.

"Stone Edge defense!" several stones appeared around the bull, coming close together in front of it to form a small wall. But the electricity broke through it, shattering the stones and striking the normal-type. It grunted, dropping to one knee.

"Look for an opening with Quick Attack!" the mouse dropped to all fours, sprinting forward and leaving a streak of glowing white behind it. Dashing around its opponent, the bull tried to keep an eye on it but it was too fast.

"Earthquake!" the mouse noticed the bull rear up its front legs, jumping into the air and doing a flip to reduce its speed, falling from above the pokemon.

"Iron Tail!"

"Megahorn!" both pokemon clashed with their attacks, grunting as they tried to overpower the other. Both attacks proving to be even, they broke off. "Earthquake again!"

"Get back with Electro Ball!" the mouse touched down on the ground again, the bull readying its attack. As its hooves made contact, the mouse jumping into the air again, releasing a poweful sphere of electricity from the end of its tail at the bull. The sphere exploded, the mouse touching the ground and jumping up again as it was still shaking. As it finally stopped, the mouse landed safely.

"Stone Edge!" the sharp stones appeared in the air again, shooting towards the mouse.

"Quick Attack, get them back on Bouffalant!" the mouse sprinted in a serpentine pattern, the stones desperately attempting to follow it. As the mouse charged at the bull, it grinned, the bull moving to a defensive stance ready for an attack. But as the mouse got inches away, it flipped onto its back, sliding along the ground right under the bull. Grabbing the hair on its underbelly, Bouffalant was pierced by the several sharp stones. "Now Thunderbolt!" the mouse released a powerful burst of electricity into the bull's chest, the pokemon giving a shout of pain.

"Shake it off!" the bull shook its body, desperately trying to get the mouse off its body. The mouse suddenly slid out from underneath it.

"Electro Ball into Iron Tail!" the mouse fired a sphere of electricity at the bull, exploding on contact. Its tail flashed silver, striking it against the ground to propel itself into the air, performing a flip before bringing its tail down on the bull's forehead.

"Grab it!" the bull snapped its head back, shaking off the balance the mouse had in its tail, its body moving uncontrollably in the air. The bull brought the tail into its mouth, having a good grip on it as the mouse hissed. "Now Stone Edge!"

"Thunderbolt!" the mouse's cheeks crackled, releasing another devastating surge of power through the bull's body. Several stones appeared out of thin air, the mouse glancing around nervously, closing its eyes and increasing the power of its own attack. The bull suddenly dropped to its front knees, the stones shooting at where the mouse had been before being lowered. As the mouse had moved, the stones didn't all hit their target, some striking the mouse and some even piercing the bull's afro. Both pokemon grunted in pain, not wanting to back down. Pikachu's attack cut off, starting to pant from the long release of power.

"Throw it, then Head Charge!" the bull tossed the mouse ahead, its forehead glowing in power as it dragged its front hoof back, starting its charge.

"Volt Tackle, Pi!" Ash shouted, the mouse shaking its head before electricity burst from its body and created a glowing crackling barrier on its skin, charging forward. Both powerful attacks charged to the middle of the battlefield, colliding head-on. Sparks crackled into the air all around them, both bearing their teeth as they struggled to push past the other. Suddenly, Pikachu's electricity cut off, being pushed backwards. "Iron Tail!" the mouse grabbed the bull's nose, flipping backwards and bringing a silver-flashing tail forcefully down on the bull's head. The power in its forehead suddenly cut off, standing still for a few moments. As more time passed everyone became confused. Pikachu brought its tail back, looking curiously at the bull. Only Ash and Pikachu were able to see what happened.

_"What's wrong with Bouffalant?"_ Alder thought in confusion, not seeing the bull move.

"Well, that's not the first time..." Ash chuckled, the mouse joining in.

"Bouffalant?" Alder called out, hoping his pokemon heard him. Suddenly, the bull's legs spread outward, its chin hitting the ground. At this moment, everyone noticed the normal-type's eyes were actually swirls.

"BOUFFALANT WON THE MOUNT BETWEEN HEAD CHARGE AND VOLT TACKLE, BUT THAT FINAL IRON TAIL WAS TOO MUCH FOR IT TO TAKE! BOUFFALANT IS OUT, LEAVING ALDER WITH JUST ONE POKEMON LEFT!" Goodshow spoke over the loud cheering, the bull disappearing into the sphere in a flash.

"Good job, old friend. You did well," Alder smiled at the sphere, clipping it onto his belt and taking another off. "I was hoping I wouldn't be forced down to you...But it's time! Let's go!"

"Here we go..." Ash muttered as the sphere soared into the air, bursting open in a blue flash and dropping to the field. Stopping in the air, it quickly grew in size, the form sprouting two wings from its back, reaching out to the sides. Its lower body formed to a point, its head low and close to its body. The blue glow broke off, revealing a fair-sized white moth with orange wings and glowing orange eyes.

"AND FINALLY, WE HAVE ALDER'S SECOND POWERHOUSE AND ICONIC POKEMON, VOLCARONA!" the crowd cheered extra loudly, Ash wincing as his ears were actually starting to hurt.

"I guessed as much..." Ash smirked to himself, looking at the fire-type. "This'll be interesting..."

"Volcarona, Heat Wave!" the bug flapped its wings, the air turning orange in front of it and being blown across the field.

"Split it," the mouse's tail flashed silver, flipping and swinging it straight down through the air, a blade of air slashing through the wind and splitting it down the middle. "Thunderbolt," the mouse fired a bolt of lightning, but the bug moved to the side.

"Move in with Bug Buzz," the bug suddenly burst forward, moving at a high speed and moving around the mouse in a circular movement. The mouse tried to keep its eyes on its opponent, but it was moving too fast. Then it released its attack. The mouse winced, its ears suddenly in pain as the bug screeched loudly, creating visible green soundwaves from its mouth as it moved rapidly.

"Pi, spin and use Thunderbolt," the mouse shook its head, flipping onto its back and spinning its body rapidly. At the same time, it released electric bolts from its body, spinning in every direction and striking the fire-type on several ocassions. Then the bug suddenly stopped, its attack cutting off as it was seen still in the air with sparks moving across its body. "Now Electro Ball!" the electric-type charged a sphere of voltage at its tail, launching it at its opponent exploding on contact. As the smoke cleared, the bug was seen to have taken nearly no damage. _"What the- Oh, right...Electro Ball is more powerful the faster the user is than its opponent. Guess it's no wonder, from how fast Volcarona was just moving around Pi..."_ Ash thought, looking at the fire-type. _"We could try that again, but it could be risky..."_

"Heat Wave!" Ash was snapped from his thoughts, as the bug released a hot wind at the mouse.

"Hold it back with electric defense," the mouse spun on its back, releasing sparks again pushing back the flaming wind. Ash looked curiously at the connection between the two attacks, pondering at something.

"Again! Then charge in with Fiery Dance!" Alder commanded, the bug releasing another flaming wind. Its body then became encased in glowing flames, charging into the wind and its flames growing brighter.

_"Oh, too perfect,"_ "Pi, into the wind and use electric defense again with a kick to it," the electric mouse glanced back briefly in hesitation, then shook its mind of those thoughts and followed his trainer and friend's decision. Diving into the flaming wind, he rolled forward and landed on his back, spinning and releasing more powerful sparks into the air. The sparks crackled in the air, then suddenly the entire orange cloud of wind suddenly flashed yellow as sparks traveled across the orange particles in the air. The sparks quickly found the fire-type in the middle of the cloud, the sparks penetrating the glowing flames covering its body and getting into its system. _"That should keep it still for a little while,"_ Ash thought with a smirk, watching the bug stop in its tracks. His smirk disappeared, however, as he heard the bug humming angrily in the cloud, the flames suddenly glowing brighter as it burst down towards the mouse. _"Okay, it's not still! That's not good!"_ "Pi, Volt Tackle!" the mouse stopped, pressing its tail into the ground as electricity encased its body, becoming a living bolt of voltage as it burst into the air, crashing head-on into the living flame. The pair exploded, cloud spreading through the air as the pair disappeared from sight.

"Get rid of the smoke!" Alder called out.

"Pi, clear the field," in the smoke, a small yellow glow appeared as well as a larger orange glow across the field. The smoke suddenly split from both sides, cutting straight down the middle and disappearing quickly, revealing the two pokemon covered in flames and electricity respectively. _"Okay...It's not showing damage from any of those attacks...Odd..."_

* * *

><p>"Honestly, I expected better from him than this," Paul crossed his arms with a smirk.<p>

"Hey, are you insulting him?" Leaf asked threateningly, the guys cringing except for the Sinnoh trainer.

"A little, yes. That pikachu was supposed to be his first pokemon, right? So why are they having a hard time dealing with Volcarona?" he asked, the Unova brunette looking at him oddly.

"Because it's Alder, he's the Unova champion. And Volcarona is, if not for Bouffalant, his most powerful pokemon. I don't think it would be a cakewalk if Alder got to champion status with his pokemon," she stated, the trainer shaking his head.

"But Ash has been with Pikachu for years, since day one. Judging from what I know, that would be eight years now, correct?" Leaf nodded. "So why don't they have any secret techniques to manipulate their opponent's moves to go against them?"

"You think they don't?" the trainer glanced at the blunette clinging to his arm, smiling warmly to him. "Don't worry, Ash has plenty of strategies. And if they run out or don't have enough, then they'll think of more on the spot."

"Hope you're right about that, or they may not last long at this rate."

"It's okay, this is Ash. He'll be fine."

"Alright..." his voice cutting off, he looked around. Everyone was looking at him slyly, chuckling to themselves. "Oh,_ shut_ _up._"

* * *

><p>"Heat Wave!"<p>

"Electric defense," _"This is getting nowhere...We're not getting damage, we're just countering each other when we can..."_ Ash thought with a frown, watching the two attacks cancel out. "Thunderbolt," _"There's gotta be some flaw with Volcarona's battling..."_

"Overheat!" the glowing shot of flames exploded on the electric bolt, bursting through it.

"Pi, Quick Attack to dodge," the mouse disappeared in a streak of white across the field, the flames searing the spot where it stood. Ash looked at the spot for a few moments, thinking of something to do. _"Wait...Flames..."_

"Bug Buzz!" the bug screeched, the mouse holding its ears low and against its fur, wincing.

_"Volcarona's a fire-type, so naturally it uses flames...What does the pokedex say...? Volcarona's supposed to be the sun pokemon, so that means...uh...It's a source of thermal energy itself...right? If Volcarona is its own energy source, then as long as it can fight, it can use fire..."_ Ash thought, looking at the fire-type stopping its attack. _"That means, there's no way to stop the energy source. So we have to stop the attack in the proccess of it being created to be used...Crap, I have to break this down-"_

"Heat Wave!"

"Quick Attack under the wind, then move evasively!" the mouse disappeared from its spot, moving quickly. _"Not the source, so we have to find a weakness in the proccess...Flames start inside the pokemon, so we have-"_ Ash blinked, looking up at Volcarona curiously. _"Wait...No it doesn't..."_

* * *

><p>"What is he doing? He's not attacking, he's just standing there in a daze!" May said exasperatedly, looking at Ash oddly.<p>

"Calm down, he's not in a daze. He's thinking," Hilbert told her, the brunette looking at him confused.

"He's right, don't worry. Ash thinks a lot in battles, a little too much honestly. From the way he's looking at Volcarona, I can tell he's getting something," Hilda said confidently, smiling.

"I thought you said you were over him?" Paul asked, arching an eyebrow at the brunette. Her fist connected with his jaw.

_"Thank Arceus he said it before I did..."_ Brendan thought with a sigh, feeling relieved.

"What's going through _your_ mind?" he cringed, looking at the brunette staring at him cautiously. He waved his arms in defense, letting them drop to the armrests with a sigh. She smiled to herself, letting her hand drop onto his.

"_Wheeeeeeels_~" Hilbert whispered to the Hoenn trainer, chuckling to himself as the trainer glared at him. Leaf and Hilda only looked at each other with a smile, shaking their heads in amusement at their childishness.

* * *

><p>"Fiery Dance!" the fire-type combusted into a living flame, bursting forward towards the mouse.<p>

"Volt Tackle!" the two attacks collided, exploding again. _"That's it! How did I not think of it before? Flames don't start inside the pokemon!" _"Pi, Quick Attack to get close!" the mouse darted forward, moving evasively down the field to confuse its opponent.

"Spin and use Heat Wave!" the bug spub its body in the air, releasing a flaming wind in all directions.

"Dive in and grab it!" the crowd watched in confusion as the mouse dove into the attack, receiving damage while grabbing onto the bug. "Thunderbolt!" the mouse released a powerful blast of electricity into the fire-type's body, who grunted in pain.

"Volcarona, Overheat!" the bug opened its mouth, a bright orange glow appearing at the back of its throat.

"Pi, hold Electro Ball in front of it!" the mouse charged an electric sphere on its tail, holding it in front of the fire-type's mouth.

_"What is he thinking? That will only result in a close range explosion,"_ Alder thought in confusion, looking at Ash curiously.

"Don't be afraid, Pi...It'll be okay," Ash told the mouse with a smirk, the electric-type giving a nod at his friend's words. The mouse watched the glow become brighter behind the sphere, until the glow started coming out. Pikachu closed his eyes, expecting an explosion and to be told to do a fast counterattack. But nothing happened. He opened one eye, seeing the fire-type's attack become flames in the air, then it disappeared quickly.

"What?" Alder's eyes widened, confuesd as his pokemon's attack was stopped by nothing. "Volcarona, what's wrong?"

"I knew it..." Ash's smirk grew, watching the fire-type get angry as it tried its attack repeatedly. The mouse watched in amazement as the attack never worked, no matter how many times it tried.

"Volcarona, stop!" Alder called out, the fire-type looking back in confusion. "It's okay, we'll give that some time to work again."

_"And now, thanks to Volcarona's quick anger, Overheat should be at minimal attack damage from that many uses in such a short time..."_ Ash grinned, the mouse forcing the sphere into the fire-type's chest and flipping back onto the ground. "Thunderbolt!" the mouse fired an electric bolt at its opponent, surging through its body.

"Heat Wave!" the bug released a flaming wind, cutting off the electricity and making the mouse hold its ground with a grunt. "Now Hurricane!" the flames disappeared, but the bug's wingbeat grew faster and faster until an extremely powerful wind was being created.

"Iron Tail in the ground!" the mouse struck its silver tail into the ground, feeling its feet begin to slide back but being held in place from its tail.

"Keep it up, and use Hyper Beam!" the mouse winced as it looked up, seeing a powerful beam of energy coming towards it.

"Let go, Pi!" the mouse released its tail from the ground, being sent into the air as the beam exploded on the ground where it stood.

"Fiery Dance!" the fire-type lit up in flames, bursting towards the airborne mouse.

"Electro Ball!" the mouse charged a sphere of crackling voltage, swinging it down on the fire-type's flaming head. Exploding on impact, the fire-type burst through the smoke and pushed the mouse to the wall, exploding again. _Ah...I guess Fiery Dance doesn't work the same way as Overheat..."_

* * *

><p>"See, I told you Ash thinks in battles," Dawn said proudly, the Sinnoh trainer being clung to rolling his eyes.<p>

"But what was he thinking? What did he do to stop the Overheat from working? Or did he even do anything? I'm so confused!" Max grasped his head.

"He didn't do anything to Volcarona, he just managed to stop the attack from taking form," Hilbert told them, crossing his arms. "Volcarona was perfectly fine, so was Pikachu, but its the proccess between the two where the attack went wrong."

"What does that mean?"

"I dunno, something stupid that no one would expect, I'm guessing."

"You're helpful..."

"Coming from the one who made Ash's girl trouble wor- Ow!"

* * *

><p><em>"I guess the two attacks are different, in a way. Overheat has the heat energy start inside the pokemon and released into the air, igniting the particles in the air, thus becoming flames. But Fiery Dance has the heat come off the pokemon's body, igniting the particles and becoming flames. Not very different, but I guess it's just enough to change the outcome..."<em> Ash thought to himself, looking at Volcarona carefully. Pikachu stood up again, shaking its head and returning to its spot in front of Ash. _"Thank Arceus I was using Pi though, or I couldn't have had a focused point of electricity like Electro Ball to alter the charges of the particles in the air. Can't believe I thought of that..."_

"Bug Buzz into Fiery Dance!" the bug released a powerful screech, then lit into flames and charged towards the mouse.

_"Whatever, I'm just glad it stopped Overheat from working. Can't say the same about Fiery Dance, though,"_ "Volt Tackle!" sparks burst from the mouse's body, glowing as it charged and jumped at the fire-type, exploding on contact. the smoke suddenly clearing, the mouse was launched backwards crashing into the wall as its opponent released a sudden powerful gust of wind. _"Using Hurricane without even being told to...I guess Volcarona thinks good for itself, it doesn't want to get into another close-range moment with Pi,"_ the mouse shook its head, stumbling over before regaining its posture.

"Heat Wave!" the bug released a warm wave of heat, the mouse wincing.

_"How can we take this thing down quickly...? It just seems to keep getting back up, no matter what damage it takes,"_ Ash stared at the fire-type in confusion, intently wanting to notice something important. _"...But what is there...?"_

"Overheat where it's standing!" the mouse watched the attack come towards it, leaping into the air to dodge.

_"They couldn't have thought that wou- Oh, crap, that's what they wanted,"_ Ash watched the fire-type move in front of the mouse, charging a beam of energy in its mouth. "Pi, Electro Ball!" the mouse held an electric sphere in front of Volcarona's mouth. Then Ash noticed. _"Oh, crap, that's not Overheat!"_

"Hyper Beam!" the mouse's eyes widened, grabbing the bug's flapping wing and being sent up, grabbing onto its back, which was a blindspot for the attack. "Now Fiery Dance!"

_"What the heck is happening here?!"_ Ash thought in disbelief at the man's sudden strategy, watching the fire-type ignite into flames trapping the mouse on its back as well within the flaming cocoon. _"Has he been saving this until later from the beginning?"_

"Back into the wall!" Alder shouted, the fire-type backing towards the wall.

"Thunderbolt!" the mouse released a powerful surge of voltage from its body, the flames starting to glow yellow.

"Bug Buzz!" the bug released a powerful screech beneath the flames, the yellow glow disappearing. The flames cut off, the mouse falling to the ground, catching itself on two feet before slipping and falling over. "Finish this with Heat Wave!"

"Pi, Quick Attack back here!" the mouse stood on all fours, sprinting in a streak of white towards Ash, avoiding the attack. Stopping a few feet from his trainer, the mouse stumbled again, bearing its teeth. _"Crap, Pi's hurt pretty bad..."_

"Fiery Dance!" the fire-type ignited.

"Think you got enough for one more, pal?" the mouse gave a nod, its body becoming enveloped in glowing sparks. "Alright, Pi, Volt Tackle Iron Tail!" the mouse dashed forward, sparks flying in every direction off its body as its tail glowed silver beneath the electricity. It jumped into the air, swinging its silver tail over its head and clashing against its flaming opponent. The two sat in the air, even for a few moments, until one had finally triumphed as the other was too weak to continue. The fire-type's flames cut off, watching the mouse hit the ground.

"AND ASH'S PIKACHU CAN NO LONGER KEEP GOING! THE MATCH IS NOW EVEN, WITH BOTH TRAINERS DOWN TO THEIR FINAL POKEMON!" Goodshow shouted over the immense cheering, Ash walking towards his best friend.

"Hey, buddy..." the mouse weakly lifted its head, giving a weak smile to its trainer. "Come on, don't strain yourself. Relax," the mouse lifted its paw, extending its thumb only. Ash smiled, chuckling. "I know, you're too tough to go down. Come on, you can rest in the trainer room," Ash took the mouse into his arms carefully, but it shook its head. He pointed to Ash's trainer box on the field. "You want to watch the rest of the match?"

_"Chu, kapi chu pika," _the mouse said, flashing another thumbs-up.

"...She'll be happy to hear that, pal," he chuckled, taking his spot in the trainer's box again. He gently sat the mouse down beside him. He unclipped the final pokeball from his belt, looking at it with a brief smile. "I guess you will get to battle, after all..."

* * *

><p>"So who's his last pokemon?" Iris asked, watching intently.<p>

"You already know that," Hilda chuckled, everyone looking at her in confusion except Leaf and Hilbert.

"She's right," Hilbert added, the pair smiling as they looked at Leaf, who nodded in agreement.

"No doubt, this final match will be interesting."

* * *

><p>"I choose you, Zo!" Ash called out, the brilliant light hitting the field and taking form of the small black fox.<p>

"About time!" she called back, shaking her fur and hopping back and forth. "Let's do this!"

"AND ASH'S FINAL CHOICE IS HIS ZORUA! WITH BOTH POKEMON KNOWN FOR BEING EXTREMELY POWERFUL AND FAST, THIS BATTLE WILL TRULY NEVER BE FORGOTTEN! THIS IS IT, THE MATCH TO DECIDE IT ALL! THE NEW TOP TRAINER AND MASTER OF THE ARC TOURNAMENT WILL BE DECIDED WHEN ONE POKEMON IS LEFT STANDING!" Goodshow's voice was drowned out, however, as the crowd cheered louder than the microphone and speakers.

"You ready for this, Zo? It's all up to you," Ash told her, the mouse looking back with a grin.

"I was born for this!" she replied, looking back at her opponent.

"LET THE FINAL MATCH BEGIN!"

**END**

**Alright, so it's not the end. real close though, the next chapter will end as the battle ends, then a few more chaps. Almost done though, I swear, I really want this to be finished and to continue the Liberated Champions series.  
>Also, as I mentioned in the note at the start of this chapter, I would add altered logic to the battle. I know it was stupid, but then again, Pokemon has done worse things to itself.<strong>


	62. Chapter 62

**Hey, finally the conclusion of the battle. Been pretty busy, sorry for the millionth time being late. **  
><strong>Also, Volcarona and Zorua will have more than four moves, I realize that, but I just felt they should battle intensely like a champion's pokemon should. Don't hate.<strong>

"Heat Wave!"

"Dodge!" the fox burst into a sprint, dashing down the field and avoiding the attack. "Dark Pulse!" the fox opened its mouth, firing its chain-like attack and exploding on contact with its opponent. "Shadow Ball!"

"Flamethrower!" the bug released a stream of flames, blocking the sphere and fighting to overpower it, but exploded. Both pokemon moved back to their side, smoke pouring across the field. "Bug Buzz into Fiery Dance!"

"Be ready with Night Daze and listen for its wingbeat!" the fox nodded, wincing as she lowered its ears, enduring the screeching sound. Waiting, she heard the wingbeat get closer. She raised her small legs, crashing them together on the ground causing an explosion of dark energy. The bug grunted from the pain, being sent back in the air. "Now Dark Pulse!" the fox fired the chain attack, exploding on contact and creating smoke between them. The fox was surprised to see the bug quickly come back through the smoke, engulfed in flames. She jumped, the bug quickly chasing after her. "Hit a Shadow Ball with Dark Pulse!" the fox fired the purple sphere, quickly exploding it with the dark-type attack. She aimed her body down to fall faster, the bug bursting through the smoke above her. She touched on the ground, crashing her glowing paws onto the field, releasing a wave of dark energy. The bug disappeared within the energy.

"Volcarona, back to me!" the bug shot out the top of the energy sphere, returning to Alder's side. _"They're quick on their feet, but I feel that wasn't Ash's decision..."_

"Hey, Zo, at least give me a hint when you're gonna do a counterattack without my approval," Ash said sternly, the fox scratching behind its ear casually.

"What're you talkin' about?" she asked nonchalantly, the trainer giving a sigh.

_"They're certainly...an odd pair..." _Alder thought with a chuckle. "Volcarona, Flamethrower into Heat Wave!" the bug released a searing flame, quickly flapping its wings and making the flames glow, being sent across the field in the hot air faster.

"What now, genius master?" the fox asked sarcastically.

"Stay still."

"You're kidding, right?"

"No way, I want you to take the attack."

"Ok...Are you giving up? You wanna knock me out that badly?"

"Stop whining and trust me."

"Alright, fine..." the fox sighed, watching the flames get closer. Time seemed to pass slowly as the attack went across the field, the fox beginning to feel nervous. "...Can I please move now?"

"No. Remember what we practiced before the tournament?" he asked, the fox looking surprised.

"Really? You trust me already?" she asked, the trainer giving a slight nod. The fox shrugged, closing her eyes. She opened her mouth, a Shadow Ball appeared in front of it. But it looked different. Instead of the energy swirling in an enclosed sphere, the front appeared to be open and a swirling vortex, sucking in the air around it. The fox drew in a long breath, the sphere expanding enough to engulf the flaming wind. The sphere shrank around the attack, Zo opened her eyes again and brought her head back, throwing it forward across the field.

"Flamethrower!" the bug fired a stream of flames, but the sphere opened again and engulfed those flames as well. Shocked, the bug felt the sphere quickly explode on contact with it, receiving its own attacks as well as the shadow-type attack. "Volcarona!"

"Hey, check it out! I actually did it!" the fox jumped side to side happily, beaming with her tail wagging.

"Don't get too excited, it's far from over," Ash told her, the fox cracking into a grin as she stopped, standing defensively and watching the bug.

"Of course, otherwise this wouldn't be a champion," she stated, the bug glaring at her.

"Hurricane!" the bug drew its wings back.

"Get under it," the fox sprinted forward, moving rapidly as the bug flapped its wings, managing to resist the gust it caused. "Now Dark Pulse!"

"Bug Buzz!" the bug released a horrible screech, the fox stumbling as it fired its attack. The dark-type move grazed the bug's body, it looked down angrily at her. "Flamethrower!"

"Shadow Ball!" the fox intercepted the dangerous flames with a purple sphere, exploding on contact with the opposing attack. The fox jumped up out of the smoke, but the crowd gasped as the bug came bursting out after it, engulfed in flames. The fox looked over her shoulder, surprised. She turned around, rolling her body and curling herself into a ball, bracing for impact as the bug crashed into her.

"Split Flamethrower!" the bug thrust its head up, launching the fox into the air. It fired a stream of flames after the fox, as it split into two streams moving towards her.

_"Intercepting with Shadow Ball is too risky in the air like that, not to mention two of them,"_ Ash narrowed his eyes, watching the flames continue. "Double Team!" the fox flashed, a line of copies appearing on either side of her. Alder and his pokemon's eyes widened, watching the two flames pass through one of the figures.

"Knock them all out with Heat Wave!" Alder shouted, the bug bringing its wings back.

"Sucker Punch, now!" all the copies burst forward towards the bug at blinding speed, all of them disappearing but one on contact as the fox's foot pushed into the fire-type's body and sending it back. "Good job, didn't think you had it in you."

"Oh, please. When it comes to battling, I'm the best there is!" the fox smirked back. "You're gonna have to go faster to keep up with me."

"Oh, really?" Ash arched an eyebrow, the fox giving a nod looking back at her opponent.

"I'm thinking back to our training from all those different places...Remember how we battled against Heatran?" Ash nodded, looking at the fox curiously. "Well, figured we may as well put some of that training to good use, right? I mean we are dealing with a fire-type, after all," Ash looked back at their opponent, understanding her words.

"...I get what you're saying, but remember Volcarona is much more nimble and agile than Heatran. Just as easy to piss off, but a lot faster," Ash told her, the fox waving back at him as if dismissing his words. He sighed. "Fine, if you want to be stubborn..."

"Flamethrower!"

"Surround him with Double Team!" the copies burst into a line, dashing in a circle around the bug. It looked around, struggling to find the real one. "Constant Shadow Ball," the fox, hidden in the flashes of copies, fired sphere after sphere at the bug. Some it managed to intercept before they hit, some it couldn't, as they were fired quickly one after the other and each from a different direction.

"Spin with Flamethrower!" the bug released a searing flame, spinning its body quickly. The flames spread out, then they came back towards the fire-type and rose into the air, forming a flaming cyclone around it. "Now break!" the fire-type gave an echoing shout, the flames glowing and expelling in every direction around it. Bursting through each of the fox copies around it, Zo grunted as the flames pushed it back, dragging her feet along the ground. The bug stopped spinning, facing its opponent with a glare through the cinders floating in the warm air.

"Just like Heatran, always showing off with its flames..." Zo muttered.

"Fiery Dance!"

"Sucker Punch into Dark Pulse!" the fox burst forward in a shadow, its attack striking the fire-type along the side of its body. She turned around in the air, firing the dark chain attack exploding on its back as she grounded herself, stopping on her heels and facing it defensively. "Double Team with Shadow Ball."

"Heat Wave!" the bug released the heated wind, each of the copies firing the shadow-type attack before disappearing from the fire-type attack. Everyone gasped, seeing all of the copies disappear, leaving only one Shadow Ball moving through the air. But the real Zo was gone as well.

"What?" Ash blinked, surprised just as much as anyone else. He thought for a moment, looking closely at the Shadow Ball. "No way...She couldn't have..." noticing the peculiar detail about it, he couldn't help but smile.

* * *

><p><em><span>Flashback<span>_

_The fox panted, opening her eyes again from their training session. "Umbreon, Espeon, don't let up on her. Zo, you can keep your eyes open this time but don't get cocky," the small pair nodded, the fox giving a scoff._

_"Bring it," she beckoned them to attack, so they did. They moved on either side of her, the fox taking a step back and trying to keep her eyes on both of them. They both fired a purple sphere at her, but she jumped and they exploded where she stood. Turning to the left, she saw a dark-type attack like her own moving towards her, spinning her body in the air and dodging it. Flipping around, she brought her front paws together and stopped the silver-gleaming tail of Espeon's coming down on her, the psychic-type drawing back. All three landed again, the fox smirking as she glanced back and forth between the pair. _

_"Espeon, close-range combat," the psychic-type nodded, its tail flashing silver again as it sprinted at the dark-type. She stood defensively, moving to the side and dodging the first swing. The cat came back around continuously, but the fox was able to avoid each strike effectively. Ash gave a nod to the dark-type standing by, who nodded back and fired a Dark Pulse at the fox. She jumped back to avoid the cat's tail, seeing the attack in the side of her eye and jumping over its line of fire, the attack passing under her as she attempted to strike the psychic-type but it dodged. _  
><em>"Keep it up, you two! Espeon, keep her moving and Umbreon, aim for her next possible moves," the pair continued to attack the fox, who managed to hold off both of them simultaneously. Zo, beginning to feel bored with this, stepped in the opposite direction from the psychic-type as it lunged at her. Pressing off the ground, she back-flipped over the cat and fired a Dark Pulse at it, but her opponent saw through it and jumped back to Ash's side. Zo smirked, looking at the pair. <em>  
><em>Glancing back, she noticed a purple sphere moving through the air towards her. Giving a scoff, she smirked as she stepped to the side and let it pass her. But the moment it was beside her, it burst, the fox feeling a painful strike to her back and being forced onto her stomach. She gave a cough, feeling something press onto her neck. Glancing up, she saw Umbreon smirking down at her, holding its paw on her neck. "What...?"<em>

_"Enough," Umbreon took its paw off her, allowing the fox to stand again. She winced, looking at the dark-type then to Ash. "You got overconfident again, so you couldn't see through it."_

_"But...How...?" watching the dark-type move to Ash's feet beside the psychic-type, she fit the pieces together in her mind. "...You hid in the Shadow Ball..."_

_"If you hadn't gotten cocky, you could have seen that coming. Your overconfidence is your downfall," Ash told her strictly, the pair at his feet giving a nod._

_"But...But he couldn't have..." Zo stepped forward, wincing again._

_"Using all knowledge and information about a pokemon, strengths and weaknesses, is a great benefactor in battle. If you were thinking properly, you would know that a shadow-type move like Shadow Ball wouldn't have any effect on a dark-type like Umbreon, so he could utilize that move for any purpose he wanted. Also, you never stopped to think Shadow Ball wouldn't affect you either if any of them had hit," Zo's eyes widened, realizing he was right. "Showing that you don't think properly. If you were, then you would have realized I was using Shadow Ball for a purpose other than damage," Ash turned away, the small pair following him at his feet. Zo looked at the ground, then followed after him quickly._

_"I'll...I'll get better for next time..."_

* * *

><p><em>"A single Shadow Ball? They can't expect that to work,"<em> Alder thought, the bug looking at it oddly. "Volcarona, ignore it and try to sense Zorua," the bug moved out of the sphere's flight path, looking around for the dark-type. Ash crossed his arms, watching the sphere near its closest point to the fire-type. As it got the closest, it burst open. The bug looked back in surprise, greeted with a Dark Pulse to its chest. It hissed from the surprise attack, looking past it and seeing the fox floating where the sphere had been, smirking. The fire-type grew angry, charging a flame in its mouth. The fox burst forward in the air, striking its glowing paw into the bug's chest, pushing it back and sending it crashing into the wall. Bringing her paws into the air, they glowed in a dark mystical aura as she struck them against the wall above Volcarona's head, quickly pushing off the wall as the Night Daze exploded into a wave of dark energy, engulfing the fire-type. Zo landed safely again on Ash's side, turning on her heels and facing it defensively with a smirk, watching her opponent's body fall out of the energy wave and hit the ground.

"Zo...When did you...?" Ash was at a loss for words, his fox looking back with a smirk.

"You told me my confidence would be a downfall, and that's why I never saw through it when we trained that day. I figured they have just as much confidence as I did, so they wouldn't be able to see it coming either. Plus it has no effect on me, so use all my abilities in battle for maximum advantage, right?" in a few seconds, Ash found himself smiling again.

"...I'm proud of you. Never thought you would get that perfect on your own."

"Thanks for the praise. Could have done without that second part, but close enough," she looked back at the fire-type, who was getting into the air again.

* * *

><p>"So Zo used the Shadow Ball like a Trojan horse!" Max exclaimed, excitement brimming from his eyes.<p>

"Calm down," Brock chuckled, patting the boy's shoulder until he sat again. "But I'll admit, that is impressive."

"Only Ash would think of something like that," Dawn added with a smile.

"Can't help but agree with that," Paul stated, giving a smirk.

"Aww, look who's got a soft siiiide~" Dawn giggled, clutching his arm tighter. He sighed, leaning away from her but she continued to remain close to him.

"What a cute little couple..." Misty snickered behind the palm of her hand, looking slyly at the pair.

"Don't forget about the other two," Cilan added, his eyes looking at the Hoenn trainer and coordinator. "There is certainly a fragrance d'amour among us...~"

"I hate that stupid connoisseur talk, but can't argue with your point," Iris smirked, looking slyly at the two pairs. The four looked back at them, confused.

"So Zo's been keeping secrets of her own, even from Ash..." Hilbert muttered, noticing Hilda looking at him oddly. "What? I could tell by Ash's expression even he didn't know what was happening, so Zo must have never told him she improved on that. Ergo, she must know a lot more than we or even Ash knows," he explained, the brunette's confusion disappearing from her expression.

"Oh, okay. Thought you were talking crazy again," she replied, the man looking not amused.

"I thought you once said I was always crazy?"

"I say a lot of things."

"Oh, I know that for a fa- Owowow!"

"What was that?"

"Nothing, let go! Let gooo!"

"Man, and people say watching over one lovesick pair is tiring," Brock sighed, looking at the three pairs.

"Got that right..." Misty, Max, Iris and Cilan muttered.

* * *

><p>"Alright, Zo, any other training techniques you perfected without telling me I should know about?" Ash asked, the fox giving a chuckle.<p>

"Grab a paper and pen," she smirked, watching the fire-type move down the field towards her.

"Flamethrower!" the flames struck the ground where she stood, the fox airborne from her jump as the bug moved closer.

"Double Team," the fox flashed into a circle of copies around the fire-type.

"Spin and use Heat Wave!" the bug released a heated wind in every direction, each copy disappearing one after the other. "Hurricane!"

"On the ground, and wait with Shadow Ball," the fox touched down on the ground as the bug began whipping up a violent gust of wind, the fox waiting below it with a purple sphere prepared in front of its mouth.

"Reverse the attack, bring it in!" Alder commanded, confusing Ash. He watched the bug flap its wings rapidly, but in a seemingly different way. Instead of the wind continuing to be released away from its wings, it seemed to be drawn in. The dark-type was surprised instead of feeling its body be pushed, it felt the wind try to bring it up towards the bug-type.

_"He's not releasing a Hurricane, he's drawing it in..."_ Ash thought, watching the fox continue to hold itself to the ground. Perplexed, he thought of something. "Zo, let that Shadow Ball go, and keep them coming," the fox nodded, releasing her hold on the sphere and continuing to form more. As each sphere moved through the air, it was caught by the wind, until in a few moments a small cluster of Shadow Balls were being dragged towards the fire-type.

"Volcarona, stop! Get away!" Alder shouted, but the bug couldn't react as the spheres already made contact, multiple explosions occurring in the air around it and releasing a cloud of smoke. The fox looked up, smirking satisfyingly.

"Not bad, using it against him..." she looked at Ash, who gave a shrug.

"Might as well, it was too good to pass up," the pair chuckled together, looking up at the cloud. "You should get in there with Sucker Punch, it's gonna get angry soon."

"Gotcha," she nodded, jumping into the air with a glowing paw, moving towards the cloud. Her eyes widened as a faint figure was seen in the cloud, bursting out towards her. The bug, engulfed in flames, was undoubtedly angry as it crashed into her and pushed her to the ground, creating a small crater. Zo coughed, stepping out. "Knew it...He's pissed..."

"Zo, pay attention!" the fox glanced over her shoulder, jumping and dodging a stream of flames, landing safely by Ash's side again. "I know you don't want to hear it, but you make it so hard not to repeat..." he sighed, the fox giving a scoff.

"Flamethrower!" the fox jumped to the side again, dodging the burning attack. She eyed it carefully as she watched it fade from the air, looking at the burned spot on the floor peculiarly.

"Hey, wait...That's like..." seeing the flash in the side of her eye, she jumped again and avoided another flame. "They're pretty much the same, just a different type. So I should be able to!" she exclaimed to herself happily, looking surprised as another flame moved past her.

"Zo! No daydreaming, Double Team!" the fox flashed into multiple copies, who all moved close together. "Wait, Zo, what are you doing? That's-"

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," she called back, Ash watching the group of copies carefully. He smirked, crossing his arms and watching.

"That only makes it easier! Flamethrower!" the bug-type released a wider flame, which quickly enveloped the entire group. But then a purple glow was seen within the flames.

* * *

><p><span><em>Flashback<em>

_"Rotom!" Ash called out, the small pokemon buzzing happily as it moved rapidly through the air above the larger pokemon. "Look, it's good that you wanted to come see us, that's nice. But we need you to focus here, pal, not goof off," the small pokemon suddenly stopped, facing off against the larger pokemon. "Alright, thank you. Snorlax, sorry about the delay in your training," the large pokemon nodded, facing the small electric-type._

_"You think this is really a good idea? Rotom is really fast, so I'm not sure it's the best opponent for Snorlax to train with..." Zo trailed off, looking at the distinct difference between the two._

_"That's exactly why they're perfect to train together. The distinct difference between them, size and speed, they both have to learn how to fight in a situation like that," Ash told her, the fox giving a hesitant nod. "Rotom, Electro Ball. Snorlax, defend with ThunderPunch and absorb it," the lazy pokemon's fists crackled with electricity as the small pokemon fired an electric sphere, colliding with its fists. As the seconds passed, it slowly decreased in size until it disappeared, Snorlax's fists glowing brighter. "Perfect, that's great, big guy!" the normal-type smiled, pounding its fists together._

_"Surprised Electro Ball didn't just explode like an atomic bomb with the difference in their speed..." Zo muttered, scratching behind her ear as she looked at Rotom._

_"Okay, Rotom, you're gonna try a new defense technique. You're gonna use Electro Ball and get inside it, then I'm gonna tell Snorlax to use Hyper Beam."_

_"What? Are you crazy?" Zo exclaimed, looking at the man in shock._

_"It will work. Rotom, you just need to focus your power into that Electro Ball and keep it powered as a barrier around you. With enough power supporting it, the Hyper Beam shouldn't even touch you," the pair nodded, Snorlax charging the powerful attack as the small electric-type disappeared into an orb of electricity. It glowed brighter, the normal-type releasing its attack. Zo cringed as the energy enveloped the sphere, but the golden glow could still be seen within the energy. "That's it, buddy! Now attack!" the golden sphere began moving through the energy ray, surprising Zo as it moved towards Snorlax. He raised his arms and crossed them in front of his head, the sphere colliding against them. "Alright, that's it!" the energy cut off, the smaller pokemon backing up and both looking at Ash. "That was great! Rotom, you nailed it on the first try!" the small pokemon smiled, buzzing happily._

_"No way..." Zo stared blankly in surprise, Ash smirking down at the fox._

_"If the power of the barrier's strong enough, then it can be focused to block and reflect any other type of attack. Unless the two types are incompatible, of course, like ghost and normal-types, then you wouldn't need to use this in battle," he explained, the fox looking at the small electric-type curiously._

_"Huh..."_

* * *

><p><em>"So she really was learning..."<em> Ash thought with a smirk, watching the purple glow within the flames move up the path towards Volcarona. The fire-type, surprised, felt an explosion hit its chest as its flames were cut off, the small dark-type bursting out of the Shadow Ball within the flames and touching back down on the ground.

"See that? I don't need you to train successfully," Zo called back to Ash, snickering.

"Too bad you wouldn't have gotten the idea if you never came along with us," he remarked, the pokemon glaring at him.

"Can't you let me have one moment...?" she muttered, the trainer crossing his arms with a shake of his head. "Jerk."

"Get over it, you're still in a battle," he told her, the fox shrugging and looking back at her opponent.

_"Those two are way too relaxed in this battle..." _Alder thought, a sweatdrop going down the back of his head.

"Alright, Zo, you should really be wrapping this up soon," Ash told her, the fox looking back at him not amused.

"Then why not give me some help on what to do?"

"What happened to little miss independent-genius-and-powerful from a few minutes ago?"

"She went for a nap."

"You really need more exercise..."

"And whose fault do you think that is?!"

* * *

><p>"Are they...really fighting right now...?" Leaf asked, looking oddly at the pair.<p>

"Yeah, looks like it," Hilda chuckled, the man beside her laughing as well.

"Those two can fight anywhere in any situation, they're like siblings," he stated, the brunette looking at him curiously.

"Like brother and sister? Why do you say that?" she asked, the man pointing at the pair on the field.

"Well, just look at them," the brunette looked at the pair continuing their exchange of words, both of them looking irritated on multiple exchanges of words. "I may not have seen a lot of siblings fight personally, but I could easily imagine it's like that. An exchange of joking words, they take it seriously and really fight for a little, then they're angry at each other," he explained, crossing his arms behind his head. "But then after a little while, they move on from it and they're close again. They move past the fight, and they're a brother and sister who love each other again. Now Ash would never admit that he loves Zo, but it's clear as day to see that he really does," he smirked, the two brunettes on either sides of him looking at him curiously.

"Why can't you be like that more often?" Hilda asked, the man casting a glare at her. "That was really nice and surprisingly sweet. Ash wouldn't send Charizard after you as often if you were like that more of the time."

"Yeah, that was really nice," Leaf added, the man giving a sigh.

"Don't ask me, I just do what I do without thought," he replied, Hilda crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

"So you're saying you're a pervert because you don't think before you do that stuff?" she asked, Leaf holding in her laughter.

"No, that's because I'm a man. You can't say you're a man if you don't aim for glory," the girls looked not amused at the man's words, who looked at them in confusion. "What? Oh, you're women, don't even try to understand. It's complicated."

"Like your feelings for someone?" Leaf asked bluntly, the man looking surprised. Hilda looked equally as surprised.

"What? What gave you that idea?" the Kanto brunette smiled, giving him an 'are-you-serious?' look. "Ash?"

"No, girls can see that like second nature. I'm especially good at it," she boasted, smiling as she pushed her chest out proudly. "Also, the ring on Hilda's finger made it obvious."

"W-What?" her words fumbled out, her hand instinctively hiding itself. "What makes you think this is related to him?"

"Really? You want to try to play another girl?" she asked blatantly, looking at her in question. The brunette bit her lip discreetly, glancing down at the ring on her finger. "Come on, Hilda, you know this can't get past me."

"You still didn't say why you thought it was related to me," Hilbert interrupted.

"So why are you defending her?"

"I'm trying to clear my name here!"

"As if you could do that, this ring is clearly showing something between you."

"Wait, what are you implying...?"

"I don't know exactly, I just know it's changed something. Maybe it's just from confession, maybe dating, engagement, marriage-"

"_W-What?!_"

"Don't act surprised, you'll be married soon enough," Leaf told them calmly with a smile, the pair glowing red in the face and glancing at each other nervously.

"W-Why would I ever marry him?" she asked, playing with her fingers.

"Yeah, what she said. She just beats me anyway, why would I want that?" he asked, feeling a fist connect with his skull.

"Well excuse me for giving you what you deserve!"

"Bickering like a married couple already...I guess it makes sense, that ring does look expensive..."

"Quiet, Leaf!"

* * *

><p>"Volcarona, Heat Wave!" the fire-type released its attack, the opposing pair looking at each other.<p>

"We'll continue this later," he told her, the fox giving a nod.

"Damn straight," she smirked, bursting into a sprint down the field and moving out of the attack's range.

"Now Dark Pulse," the fox fired the dark-type attack.

"Overheat!" Ash looked confused at the man's words, but was surprised to see the bug release a powerful glowing flame, quickly reducing Dark Pulse to nothing and exploding on the ground just beside Zo, who thankfully moved just in time. She slid back on her feet, surprised.

_"But how? Volcarona used Overheat repeatedly when battling Pi. Even if it didn't work, the attack damage still should have went down from being used in the first place..."_ Ash pondered, only coming up with one conclusion. He gave a deep sigh, rubbing the arch of his nose between his eyes. _"Volcarona's a source of thermal energy itself...Even with using Overheat again and again, its own energy source can replenish with time...Crap, that doesn't even sound right...Oh well," _he shrugged, the fox looking back at him oddly.

"You gonna stand there in a daze all day or help me?" she asked, the trainer snapping from his thoughts and returning to the battle.

"Right, just thinking," he replied, the fox giving a non-amused look noticing a flame in the side of her eye. Dodging the Flamethrower, she faced her opponent again.

"Overheat!"

"Sucker Punch!"

"Change to Fiery Dance!" the dark-type burst forward in a flash for her strike, but the fire-type burst into flames. Surprised, she punched a layer of flames around her opponent, then was tackled mid-air from the living mass of flames. Landing again, she shook her head with a slightly dazed look. "Now Overheat!"

"Zo, dodge," Ash told her, but she only stumbled to the side in response. Ash noticed Volcarona about to fire its attack. "Zo, what are you doing?" she looked back confused, then noticed the attack coming towards her. She jumped to the side, barely avoiding it. "Man...Come on, Zo, don't space out on me now."

"Sorry, I just...that last hit was more than I expected..." she replied, surprising Ash with a quick and sharp pained yelp. She winced, her one leg starting to get shaky. She looked down at her leg, noticing a small burn just above her knee. "Well that's a downer..."

"Flamethrower!" she looked up, seeing the flames coming towards her.

"Zo, back!" the fox jumped back towards Ash, avoiding the flames. "You were dazed 'cause you got a burn, didn't you?"

"Huh? No way, how could _I_ be slowed down 'cause of a little burn? Come on, look who you're talking to," she boasted confidently, taking a step to the side and wincing as her leg wobbled.

"Zo, don't do this. Not now. We can move around this and-" Ash noticed the fox shake her head, running towards Volcarona. "Or...Ignore me entirely..."

"Heat Wave!" the fox quickly jumped to Volcarona's side as it was about to launch its attack, throwing a purple sphere and exploding it on its side. It looked to the side angrily, seeing the fox flash into a line of copies. "Heat Wave again!" the fire-type quickly eliminated all the fakes, leaving the real one charging a Dark Pulse. "Flamethrower!" the flames and dark-type move collided, exploding in the center as the two were enveloped in smoke. "Fiery Dance!"

"Zo, get out of there!" Ash called out sternly, but she didn't come back to his side like she should have. An orange glow appeared in the smoke, moving quickly out of the smoke with the small fox in front of it, pushing her out and sending her tumbling across the field. "Zo, stop this. Don't get reckless now, we can't afford this-"

"No..." he stopped his words, seeing the fox stand again, stumbling before regaining her defensive stance. "This is nothing, I can handle it..."

"Zo, I'm not kidding. Don't do this," he said strictly, the fox looking at the ground.

"...I can do this...I'll take it from here, and I'll win...then..." she glanced back, the trainer starting to look concerned.

"Zo, stop."

"Then...You'll be proud of me..." she whispered, then her attention was brought back to her fire-type opponent, quickly running forward to engage in battle again.

"Flamethrower!" the fox's eyes flashed, the fire-type firing its attack and stopping Zo in her tracks. Alder and Volcarona smirked, then the image flickered. Confused, they saw that image disappear. Surprised, Zo was now in the air beside Volcarona, firing a Dark Pulse which pushed Volcarona into a wall. "But how...?!"

"Lesson one...Always use your pokemon's abilities to your full advantage..." Zo muttered, touching down on the ground and firing a purple sphere at the fire-type.

"Flamethrower!" the flames burst through the sphere, but the fox formed another sphere like earlier in the battle, the flames disappearing within the dark energy and becoming trapped, then thrown back at the fire-type.

"Lesson two...Never forget what you learn from others..." she jumped to the side, avoiding another flame from the angry bug after her surprise attack.

"Overheat into Hurricane!" the fire-type launched the brightly-glowing flames at the dark-type, who dodged but still felt some sweat go down her forehead from the heat. Then the bug whipped up a violent storm in the air, which made the fox eager to land again. Her feet touching the ground, she crouched and held herself down. "Now reverse and use Heat Wave!" the bug's wingbeats grew more rapid, the wind changing direction and being brought in instead of pushed out, orange cinders also floating through the air and heating it. The fox, surprised, felt herself lifted off the floor and raised into the air.

"Zo, spin with Dark Pulse!" Ash called out, the fox hesitating before spinning her body and firing the dark-type attack. With the wind bringing everything in, the attack began spinning through the air and circling Volcarona in multiple loops. "Now Shadow Ball!" the purple sphere moved through the air, hitting the attack and setting off a chain reaction, multiple small explosions occurring all along the Dark Pulse around Volcarona until it was completely hidden in a cloud of smoke. "Now wait on the ground with Night Daze."

"Lesson three...When in battle, worry about nothing else..." she muttered as she landed on the ground, her paws beginning to glow in a dark mysterious aura. Watching the cloud carefully, she waited for a sign of her opponent coming back. Hearing a sudden screech, she winced as she prepared to release her attack. Small green waves rippled through the air from the smoke, the dark-type nearly losing balance before regaining herself. The fire-type burst from the smoke, flames erupting around its body. She brought her paws up, crashing them back down and releasing the powerufl wave of dark energy. The fire-type crashed into it, pushing through it surprising the fox as she was tackled back within her attack. Being pushed out of her field of energy, she dragged her feet and stopped herself.

"Overheat!" the flames collided with the ground below the airborne fox, who fired a purple sphere at the fire-type which was shot down by more flames.

"Lesson four...remain cool at all times..." she took a deep breath, calmly exhaling again as she looked at the fire-type.

* * *

><p>"You think Zo's going rebellious now?" Hilbert asked, Hilda smacking his arm.<p>

"Way to have confidence in your friends, jerk," she told him, the man giving a sigh as he dropped his head onto the back of the seat.

"Jeez, what was I thinking asking you anything...?" he breathed, the brunette cracking her knuckles with a glare.

"Come on, stop flirting, you two..." Leaf chuckled, the pair glaring at her.

"Coming from you...You never leave Ash alone," Hilda replied, the brunette poking out her tongue.

"He loves the attention I give him," the Unova pair glanced at each other, giving a laugh at the girl.

"As if, I'm positive he would pass up on that if he could in a heartbeat. Not that you would listen, though," Hilbert pointed out, his friend giving a nod.

"No way, he wouldn't pass up on anything from me," she told them proudly. "I mean, come on, we're best friends. Me being a girl is only a bonus for him, and the fact that we're in love is definitely not coincidence."

"So, you're saying that it was...fate or something, that you were meant to be together?" Hilbert asked, giving a laugh.

"Of course. And besides, there's no way I'm letting him go, especially since he's seen my chest, even if it was by accident," she explained quickly, evidently without thinking before speaking.

"Wait, _what_?"

"When did he see your _chest_?"

"Wha- U-Uh, never! Y-You're hearing things..."

* * *

><p>"Bug Buzz!"<p>

"Sucker Punch!"

"Flamethrower!"

"Dark Pulse!"

_"Alright, we have to finish this soon..."_ Alder thought, watching the two attacks explode.

"Zo, listen for a sec," the fox looked back at him. "Right now, we're finishing this. _We_ are, so don't go off recklessly on your own accords," he told her, the fox looking at the ground for a moment.

"...Then let's do this," she hopped around, facing the fire-type.

"Alright, then. Circle around him with Double Team," the fox burst forward, circling him in a flash of copies. "Now Dark Pulse."

"Spin with Flamethrower!" the flames quickly dispelling the copies, the fox jumped into the air and fired the attack, but was cut off by flames. "Overheat!"

"Shadow Ball!" the sphere blocked the flames and exploded.

"Bug Buzz!" the bug readied the attack, but felt the dark-type's paw pressured into its chest.

"Now Night Daze!" the fox's paws glowed, bringing them back.

"Overheat!" the flames glowed in the bug's mouth, the fox striking her paws together on the bug's chest, the explosion of dark energy enveloping the pair. The pair fell through the bottom of the energy, managing to catch themselves before stumbling onto the ground. They both weakly got up, struggling with injuries covering their bodies, still staring each other down.

"Lesson...five..." Zo clenched her teeth, straightening her legs. "...Never...ever...give in...to your opponent..."

"Zo..." Ash looked at his pokemon -his friend- with concern.

"Anytime now, Mr. pokemon master," she told him sarcastically, the trainer's smile immediately disappearing.

"And there's the annoying Zo I'm used to, I was wondering where you went," he sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I never left, I just took a nap," she told him, the trainer smirking with a shake of his head.

"You wish," the fox gave a nod, facing the fire-type again. "Alright, Dark Pulse!"

"Flamethrower!" the two attacks exploded, the pair moving quickly into the smoke. The cloud suddenly shook, then quickly split revealing the flaming bug clashed with the dark-type's glowing paw. Both of them were pushed back, sprinting forward again. "Overheat!"

"Shadow Ball!" the attacks exploded, both pokemon circling around the smoke. "Double Team!"

"Heat Wave!" the clones quickly disappeared, leaving the real one beneath the flying bug. "Flamethrower!"

"Sucker Punch!" the fox punched the bug's chest, stopping its flames and pushing it back. She jumped back across the field.

"Volcarona, focus your flames into a Fiery Dance," the bug's body began to glow orange, before bursting into flames glowing increasingly brighter.

"You know what to do, Zo," Ash told her, the fox giving a nod. She closed her eyes, several moments flashing through her mind.

* * *

><p><em><span>Flashbacks<span>_

* * *

><p><em>"Come on, Ash, I'm hungry toooo!" the fox complained, the man giving a chuckle.<em>

_"Alright, alright," he replied, finally giving into the fox. He held out a small granola bar, the fox not looking amused. "What? I told you we were getting low."_

_"You idiooot!"_

_"Hey, easy! Come on, down! Down, Zo!"_

* * *

><p><em>"Ash, can we take a break yeeet?" Zo whined, rolling onto her back with a sigh.<em>

_"Don't be lazy, Zo, you're already lacking in training compared to everyone else," he told her, crossing his arms. The fox glared at him._

_"This is pokemon abuse, you know," she told him, the trainer giving a sigh. He sat down, stretching on his back._

_"Fine, lounge around, nap, do whatever you want," he said, the fox looking excited. Ash closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Surprised, he felt something move close to his side. Glancing down, he saw Zo bringing her body close together against him. Unable to resist smiling, he reached his hand out and stroked the fox's fur. "Sweet dreams, Zo. While they last..."_

* * *

><p><em>"Zo, come on, get off me!"<em>

_"Admit it, you're ticklish!"_

_"No I'm not, you're wasting your time, now get off!"_

_"Well I haven't tried over here yet...!"_

_"Zo, don't you da- Agh, you little-! Stop it!"_

* * *

><p><em>"Come on, you're gonna freeze," he told her, taking the blanket off his legs and tossing it over the curled-up fox. She popped her head up.<em>

_"But this is your only blanket, I thought you tore the rest?" she asked, the man giving a nod as he closed his eyes, leaning back against the frozen cave wall._

_"I did," he replied, the fox looking at the blanket on her body. Taking it in her mouth, she lifted it with her as she moved towards the man, crawling onto his lap and re-adjusting it._

_"Well it would be pointless if I was okay and you weren't," she told him, the man arching an eyebrow. "Shut up, just accept the gesture."_

_"...You really are a unique pokemon."_

_"Damn straight, I'm awesome."_

* * *

><p><em>"Zo, what's wrong?" the man asked, crouching to the fox's level.<em>

_"I...I just can't beat him..." she replied slowly, the man glancing back at who she was referring to._

_"Zo, only a few handful of pokemon have ever beat Charizard. It's not your skills, it's his. He's been in a valley surrounded by only his own kind for years, he's defeated legendaries. It's nothing you have to beat yourself up over," he explained, the dark-type looking surprised at him._

_"But-"_

_"No buts," he stopped her, standing again and moving towards the large fire-type. Curious as to what he was doing, Zo quietly moved closer, hoping to hear them. "Charizard, don't make me ask again. just one time, that's all I'm asking."_

_"What...?" Zo wondered, the fire-type glaring at him with a snort of a small flame._

_"Please, just let her get the edge over you. Battle when you're half-asleep, act, just do whatever to let her win against you. I don't want to see her like this, ever," the fox's eyes widened slightly, surprised at his caring words. But what came next didn't surprise her._

_"Charizard! You said you would never burn me again!"_

* * *

><p><span>End Flashbacks<span>

* * *

><p>Zo opened her eyes again. Looking back at the trainer standing behind her, a warm feeling focused in her chest, spreading through her entire body. She looked back at her opponent, grinning. "This match is mine."<p>

"Then let's get to it, Zo," Ash smirked, the dark-type enveloped in a warm pink glow. Both pokemon glowed brighter, grinning as they stared at their opponent.

"Fiery Dance, go!"

"Return! Show them what you're made of!"

Both pokemon shouted out, charging forward across the field and meeting at the center. Clashing violently, energy and flames emitted from the pair in high intensity, washing over the field and into the crowds. Neither sides showing a sign of backing down, their only choice was to push more and fight for dominance over the other. The crowd watched in anticipation and excitement as, the moment one side began to weaken, an explosion occurred between them. The pair disappeared in smoke, the crowd murmuring and whispering while eagerly awaiting the result of the final battle. Minutes passed as the smoke only moved around the field, everyone really starting to get impatient about it. Suddenly, the cloud split in two, parting from over the field and revealing the pair. Both on the ground.

_"What...?"_ Ash felt a pull in his chest, his hand moving to it and gripping his shirt. He looked at the pair on the field, a flash of his memory showing the green snake and his electric mouse in the same situation from his past. _"...No...Not again..."_

"Volcarona, you can do this!" the fire-type's eyes opened slowly, its body shifting slightly, then slowly beginning to sit up.

_"It's...It's just like before..."_ Ash winced, gripping his shirt again. Lifting his heart, he saw Zo begin to stir, attempting to maintain her weight on her front two legs. Shaky, she managed to hold her own as she slowly got up again. Across the field, Volcarona had not left the ground, but it had managed to sit up straight. _"Serperior and Pi...Volcarona and Zo..."_ he clenched his teeth, his fist clenching at his side as well. _"...Even after all these years, I still haven't changed..."_

"...Ash..." surprised, he looked at Zo, who was looking back with a weak smile. "You know...that's not true...You're different...entirely..."

"Zo...How...?" he was unable to process words. "..How did...you...?"

"We're...We're friends, Ash...I can tell what's wrong...with you..." she laughed weakly, managing to hold herself up on all fours again. "...Don't ever...think...you're weak..."

"Zo, take it easy..." Ash told her, the concern becoming clear in his voice.

"Never...Put yourself down...You are..." the fox struggled to speak, nearly collapsing to the side. "...the...greatest trainer...there is..."

"Zo, seriously, just relax," Ash frowned, watching the dark-type try so hard to maintain herself.

_"You're...the best...That's why, I want to..."_ Zo turned around, standing defensively again as she saw the fire-type in the air again, glaring at her. _"...I _will_ finish this..."_

"Flamethrower!" the bug released a stream of flames, the dark-type countering with Dark Pulse. Both attacks exploding, Zo winced as she sprinted forward, flashing into a shadow as her paw glowed, striking through the smoke and into the fire-type's chest. It flipped backwards in the air, sending the fox into the air above it. The fire-type flapped its wings, flames catching in the wind as it moved into and past the dark-type, hurting her. She caught herself on the ground, firing a purple sphere at the bug, exploding on contact. A searing flame burst through and scorched the ground just in front of the fox, leaving light singes on her fur as she jumped back.

_"I have to...do this..."_ the fox fired three purple spheres, the stream of flames bursting right through them. _"...For my pride...and..."_ jumping to the side, she fired the dark chain attack, but the fire-type dodged. Both pokemon moved back to their sides, facing each other.

"Zo...?" Ash looked confused at the fox, neither pokemon moving an inch. Zo closed her eyes.

_"This isn't just for myself..."_

"Volcarona, Fiery Dance!"

_"...This..."_ she opened her eyes, a powerful pink aura bursting from her body and surrounding her, glowing brightly. _"...Is for Ash!"_

"Do it, Zo!" Ash shouted, both pokemon shouting as they burst forward, crashing into each other with dangerous power. Flames burst off in every direction, the front-row spectators wishing they had different seats. But then, to everyone's surprise, one side gave in.

"Volcarona, no!" Alder shouted, watching the flames disappear and the fox pushing his pokemon crashing into the wall behind him with brute force. The fire-type snapped its eyes open, glaring down at the fox angrily. It opened its mouth, the orange glow within becoming brighter than earlier attacks. Ash's eyes widened when he noticed this.

"Zo, pull back!" he shouted desperately, but the fox remained.

_"I'm finishing this...for Ash!"_ she thought, the pink aura glowing brighter. The bug, however, released its attack. The flames clashed against the aura, resisting a little before breaking through. The fox's eyes widened in surprise as the flames struck her side, breaking her concentration on her attack. The energy around her disappeared, her body violently pushed by the flames into the ground, crashing and dragging along the field, the force bringing up pieces of debris from the ground and leaving a destroyed trail. Ash was speechless as he watched the flames cut off, his pokemon motionless with her eyes close almost halfway across the field from where she had been attacked.

_"...No...It can't be..."_ Ash's fists fell weakly to his sides, unable to find his voice. His spirit lifted as he noticed the dark-type move, weakly lifting its head.

"Wha...?" her eyelids opened slowly, wincing as she tried to stand on her legs again. Her vision blurring, she was able to make out the figure of her fire-type opponent. "..He's...still not down...? Damn, this...is annoying..." her knees shook as she stood slowly, nearly falling over.

"THIS IS AMAZING! EVEN AFTER BOTH THOSE INTENSE CLASHES, VOLCARONA AND ZORUA CONTINUE TO GET UP AGAIN! JUST HOW MUCH CAN THESE TWO TAKE?!" Goodshow's voice boomed, the crowd remaining silent as they watched the pair in anticipation. Zorua's vision faded in and out, trying to focus on her opponent.

"Volcarona, can you manage another attack?" Alder asked, the bug giving a nod as it began to waver in the air. "Alright, then Flamethrower!" the bug opened its mouth, the flames starting in its throat again. Ash froze.

_"What...am I doing...?"_ he looked at Zo, who was shaking as she attempted to remain on her feet. _"Zo doesn't deserve this...She shouldn't be hurt anymore because of me..."_

"What are you doing? Snap out of it!" he blinked, looking confused and surprised at the fox, who glared at him. "Stop spacing out, we're still in a battle here!"

"Zo..." he opened his mouth to speak, but the fox looked away.

"Idiot, don't even start. I can tell you're about to make your little speech, and I for one do _not_ want to hear it," she told him, surprising the trainer. "Get you head back in the game already!"

"Volcarona, fire!"

"Zo, Shadow Ball!" the fox winced as the sphere of energy grew in front of her mouth, shooting forward but wavering through the air. The sphere exploded on the bug before it could release its own attack, the fire-type giving a screech as its body turned in the air. It fired its attack in a last-minute attempt of reconciliation, before its body fell to the ground. However, the flames were no longer aimed at Zo. It was going towards Ash.

"Ash!" Zo gasped, looking back at the the man who stood still in shock. The crowd gasped, the man not moving from the oncoming attack. "Ash, move!" but the man didn't respond.

_"...I can't...I can't do this, after all..."_ he blinked, noticing the flames coming towards him. He cringed, then relaxed as he closed his eyes. _"...I don't deserve this..."_

"Idi_ooooot_!" surprised, Ash felt his body forced to the side, falling to the ground and rolling. He snapped his eyes open and looked back, seeing the fox in the air at the height of where he had been hit. She smiled, the trainer's eyes widening in horror as she suddenly disappeared within the flames. Her scream suddenly rang through his ear, the crowd gasping and murmuring about what they had just witnessed. Ash couldn't move, he couldn't speak. All he could do was stare at the flames, frozen in shock, unable to do anything about it.

"ZORUAAAAAAA!"

**END**

**Firstly, don't assume that's how it ends. I'm not telling you he will win, I'm not telling you he'll lose, just saying not to think of it as over already.**  
><strong>Secondly; I'm so glad that's over. I'm not much of a drawn-out battle person, so that kind of pushed me, but it's still alright (hoping so, anyway). I hope you're still reading this at this point, if so then you are still a fan. That's a good thing, I appreciate anyone who has taken the time to read any of my story pieces. Truly.<strong>  
><strong>Thirdly, there is only ONE chapter remaining. The next chapter will be the conclusion to this fanfic, unfortunately.<strong>

**POLL: What was your favorite joke, comedic reference, or just the funniest part of this story? Please give your opinion!**


	63. Chapter 63

**And I'm back from what seemed like me being dead. It's been almost a year, oh my God, I can't believe I put this off for that long. That's sad. Anyways, there will be a note at the end of the chapter, so...Enjoy.**  
><strong>As well as to those who are actually reading this, meaning you've been waiting for <strong>_**sooooooooooo**_** long. I sincerely apologize, so I won't stall any longer.**

The beeping continued at the same pace. Never slowing down, never speeding up. It quickly became a rhythm to those who listened, but no one truly thinks about what it means. The sound of the beep has been thought of as a tune. But the man sitting in the chair, elbows resting on his thighs with his hands crossed together under his nose, staring with a grim expression...understood what it truly meant.

_"It's their clock...The time of their life, continuing the same way seemingly forever...Until that moment, it just stops. Before you can even think about it, before you can even remotely consider what to do in the last moments...It's just over. No overtime, no do-overs...It only ends,"_ the man's shallow breath warmed his hands, but he didn't notice. The only thought, concern, or emotion going through his mind...was for the figure in the bed.

* * *

><p>"What do you guys think...?" Max asked quietly, looking at the others around him with a worried expression. The man's friends all stood together outside the room, watching the trainer through the window.<p>

"There's no point going in," Paul stated, the blunette clinging to his arm looking at him in concern. "With the state Ash is in, there's nothing that could bring him out of this. His concern for his pokemon has always controlled him."

"So what are you saying? We just give up on him?" May asked quickly, Brendan's grip on her hand softly tightening, attempting to calm her down.

"...I'm sorry to say, but that's all we really can do for now. It's for the best," Paul closed his eyes, the blunette softly resting her head against his shoulder with a frown.

"I hate seeing him like this...He's always so concerned about others..." Dawn trailed off, frowning as she looked at the man in concern.

"But this is just who he is...As much as I want to help him, there's no changing him," Leaf crossed her arms, leaning against the wall with a frown. "Man, this sucks. I don't know what to do."

"I gotta agree with Paul here, the best we can do is let him get through it himself. This isn't something he can be helped with," Hilbert crossed his arms behind his head, turning towards the doorway. "Come on, let's go get something to eat. We'll get something for him and leave it beside him."

"...Alright," Hilda said quietly, walking towards the door. The man followed her, the pair disappearing from the room.

* * *

><p>"This is wrong...That's not how it should have ended..." the blonde woman remained silent from the man's comment, resting her nose against her folded hands held up by her elbows on the table. "Come on, Cynthia, you have to say something."<p>

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can change. The tournament guidelines state that the winner is declared when one side is unable to continue, there's nothing said about this kind of situation," she sighed, dropping her fist gently on the large book in front of her. "This won't help us."

"I haven't seen a battle end like this before, so I wouldn't know what to do first," the second blonde yawned, folding her arms again.

"I agree. We could hold a rematch, but then we would need the permission from the damn Arc Tournament council," the bulky man clenched his teeth in frustration, his fists clenched. "Such a bother..."

"But we can't leave the situation like this. Ash is sitting in the hospital right now, watching over his pokemon that saved his life, but that action cost him the title of the Arc Tournament Champion," Grimsley said, looking over at the old man in the corner. "I'm sure you're not pleased with this at all, either."

"Of course not," Alder quickly replied, focused on a spot on the table. He glanced over at Cynthia, then at the book in front of her.

"The spark of inspiration in your eye...What are you thinking?" the quiet woman asked, holding her trademark book close to her.

"Let me see the guidelines for a minute. I want to check something."

* * *

><p>"So what do you really think? Will he be able to snap out of it on his own?" Hilda asked, the man beside her giving a quiet sigh.<p>

"...Of course not, but I couldn't say that in front of them. Just look at how worried they are," he looked in the sky, seeing a cloud moving from in front of the sun. "Something like this happening to one of his friends, and to Zo no less...This is definitely a scar to him..."

"I guess some things about him just don't change, even after so many years..." Hilda crossed her arms, giving a sigh. "He cares about his friends so much that it hurts him..."

"That's not entirely true. It might be the case with one of his other friends back there, yeah, but he thinks of his pokemon as family," Hilbert told her. "Zo is like a sister to him. An annoying little sister, but he still loves her, whether he admits it or not."

"You seem really concerned about him," she said with a sly look, leaning forward and looking at him. He glanced at her, looking away as he felt his cheeks warm up.

"He's a friend, after all. Besides, it would be boring around here without him, I'll admit that," he said, the brunette quietly laughing to herself.

"I was just kidding, you know."

"Well what about you, then?"

"Huh? Of course I'm worried about him, he's a close friend."

"Yeah, but that's not what I mean. You love him, remember?"

"...Ah..." the brunette looked at the ground, stopping. The man stopped a step ahead of her, looking back. "...Yeah...Of course I do..." Hilbert frowned, hesitating before speaking.

"...Then I think you should be helping him," she looked up at him confused, seeing him smiling back at her. "I may not know what it's like, but I'm sure it would mean a lot to him if you were there for him," he turned away, moving his foot forward then stopping again. "...If you really love him, you can't let Leaf get all the glory. You gotta take some for yourself, you know?"

"I know, but..." her hands dropped to her sides, moving towards him.

"What's wrong?" he watched her walk past him, hearing her quiet voice as she moved beside him.

"It's just, something feels...different..."

* * *

><p>The doors closed behind the brunette, Leaf glancing back over her shoulder with a frown. <em>"What am I doing...? I should be by him the whole time..."<em> her fist moved to her chest as she walked, heading towards the battle area. Stopping in front of the statue, she looked up at it and stared blankly. _"Zo...Ash...Please be okay..."_

"Miss Leaf? Is something troubling you?" the brunette nearly jumped, looking over at the sleepy blonde.

"Oh, Miss Caitlin...Sorry, just...thinking, that's all," she flashed a brief smile, looking back at the statue.

"Drowning the broken heart in sorrow will not help," Leaf looked confused, the woman giving a smile. "I recognize that look all too well."

"But...That's not quite it..." she said quietly, the woman moving closer to her. "I want to help Ash through this...Both him and Zo are very special to me, so I don't want to see either of them hurt..."

"Then why are you here, hurting yourself with negative thoughts?" the brunette didn't respond, the blonde putting her arms around the girl. "If you wish for them to be okay, then you must take care of yourself. If you care about them, then how do you think they feel about you?" no response. "Miss Leaf, I shall tell you this in confidence from self-experience."

"Huh...?" her soft voice was barely audible, the blonde pulling back and looking the brunette in the eye with a warm smile.

"Nothing warms a man's pain like a woman to support him."

* * *

><p>"I don't know what to do, this sucks!" Max punched the wall, immediately regretting it as he held his hand.<p>

"Don't be rash, idiot," May hit the boy's head.

"Something tells me this isn't helping him," Misty looked at the outside of the doors to the room, the group sitting in the waiting lobby. "Come on, we're his friends, we should be doing something to help him."

"...I can't stand this..." the blunette's tear rolled onto Paul's sleeve, the man feeling a sting in his chest as he heard the girl sob quietly.

"...Come on, let's go," he said softly, surprising the girl as he stood up, holding her closely. With his arm around her holding her up, he walked down the hall towards his room.

"I feel like we should keep an eye on them, but maybe Dawn is too distraught to try anything," Max thought out loud, the brunette hitting his head again.

"How is the boy doing?" the group was surprised at the deep voice, looking in the front doorway.

"M-Marshal!"

"Not just him, we're all worried," the man behind him added, the small woman standing beside him quietly holding her book, giving a nod.

"Grimsley and Shauntal, too..." Cilan was too surprised to continue.

"A determined young trainer, aspiring to be the best, stared death in the face without trying to save himself. But his pokemon saved him, at the cost of her own well-being...A story with such a sad ending, we refuse to believe this story is over," the woman explained, the three moving into the room.

"So where's Caitlin? And Alder and Cynthia?" Brock asked.

"Rest assured, those three are as worried as we are. Caitlin wandered off in a sleep trance, muttering something about sensing a broken heart, and Cynthia and Alder are looking through the guidelines for the tournament. Alder refuses to let his victory be declared like this," the bulky man told them, the younger ones looking concerned.

"Cynthia had not found anything regarding an occurrence like this through her first time reading, but Alder insisted on looking himself. The man can be as stubborn as his Bouffalant," he stated, crossing his arms with a sigh.

"Well I hope they find something soon..." the man trailed off, not noticing the pink-haired nurse step into the room.

"Nurse Joy," everyone's attention was captured, looking at the woman. "How's Zo? Is she alright?"

"She's in a pretty bad state at the moment, so I think it's almost definite to say she will be in there for a long time," the atmosphere in the room suddenly went down, the depression nearly visible in the air. "But, I believe she will be okay. I've treated Hilbert on very severe burns, so I can assure you, Zo is in very good hands."

"Really?!" Max suddenly lit up, his sister hitting him on the head.

"Thank you, Nurse Joy. So much," May smiled, the woman waving it off.

"No worries, but I'm going to have to consult with Ash about the after-care she must have. Do you know where he went?"

"What are you talking about?" Iris asked.

"He's not in the room, so I had assumed he had taken a walk somewhere," she told them, everyone looking at each other oddly.

"He never left the room..."

"Well where would he go?" Max asked, looking around.

"What about his training spots? Or the lake down south?" May asked, the Hoenn trainer beside her squeezing her hand softly.

"No, I get the feeling he's not trying to let us find him this time," he said, the girl looking at him.

"So, what, he's off who-knows-where and we can never figure it out?" she asked, the man only frowning in response as he looked away.

"Marshal, Ash found a lot of your training spots and used them himself, right?" the big man nodded. "Sorry, but can you go check them and see if he's anywhere nearby?"

"Already on it," he tightened his sash, walking out of the room.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry..." Dawn whispered, the man giving a sigh.<p>

"I told you, stop worrying about it. Or about Ash, everything is fine," he told her, his fingers running through her blue hair. She looked up at him, her head rested on his arm.

"How can you be so strong...?" he looked at her oddly, sighing again as he let his head hit softly against the pillow.

"How can you be so troublesome?" he asked, the girl starting to giggle.

"You can be a jerk, but you can really be a sweetheart, too," she smiled, burying her face in his chest.

"Hey, stop it. 'The hell are you doing?" he asked, the blunette lifting her head and sliding up in the bed, moving her leg across his waist and pinning an arm beside his shoulder opposite of her. Surprised, he cringed as the blunette moved her face close to his, hovering barely an inch from contact with him. "What are you trying to pull here?"

"...You really are different..." his expression turned to confusion, the girl looking him right in the eye. Surprised, he felt her hand on his chest, tracing circles. "Any guy would kill to be in a situation like this, and here you are, begging to get out of it."

"Of course, why would I want this? It's a bother," he scoffed, the blunette's smile growing as her palm pressed against his abdomen.

"So you don't like this? Because I'm starting to get a different opinion from you somewhere else~" she chimed in a teasing tone, teasingly moving her leg held over his lower pelvic area. He cringed again, closing his eyes as his head hit back on the pillow.

"Why do you never give up?"

"Why do you never give in?"

"Because if I give in, then you'll never leave me alone for _sure_."

"That's the case either way, Paul-y, I'm sure we both knew that already."

"Jeez, you may as well strip down and give your body to anyone at the rate you're going..." he sighed, rubbing the arch between his eyes. The blunette looked at him surprised, waiting for a few moments. "...What?" he asked, looking at her cautiously. Her smile only grew more. She shifted her bodyweight over, sliding herself on top of his thighs, preventing his escape with a leg on either side of him. Paul watched her hands grab both sides of her shirt's hem.

"Crap..."

* * *

><p>"Why do you help me?" the blonde looked at her confused, her sleepy attitude only adding to her silly appearance. "I mean...I haven't really done anything for you, so why do you want me to be happy?"<p>

"Let's say...I'm an odd person," she flashed a smile, as if she didn't realize how ridiculous she seemed to be. Leaf wasn't able to hold back her laughter. "So tell me, why aren't you with him right now?"

"Huh?" she blinked, the blonde giving her a curious look. She looked away, kicking her toe into the ground. "I don't know...I just don't know how to help him."

"Being there for him is enough, trust me, in my years I've learned that's how men think," she smiled, the brunette looking at her surprised.

"It's really that simple?" the elite four member nodded.

"Of course, now go help him. He will be beyond grateful that you take the time to help him through his troubles," she told her, the younger girl giving a nod, beaming as she hurried off. The blonde watched her with a yawn, smiling. "That boy must really be something..."

* * *

><p>"Well what do we do? Should we go look, too?" Iris asked, beginning to panic.<p>

"Of course we do! We're not just gonna let him walk away like last time!" Max exclaimed, the brunette giving a nod.

"For once today, my brother's right. We can't just stand around doing nothing while Ash walks out of our lives again," she stated.

"How do you know he's leaving? Maybe he's just taking a walk to clear his mind or something," Brendan told her, the brunette shaking her head.

"I don't want to take the risk. I'm not letting him leave so easily again."

"Well said."

"I agree, I'll whack him with my hammer if he tries!" Misty declared, a wave of worry suddenly washing through the room.

"Perhaps Zo could help us? If she were awake, maybe she would know somewhere he could have gone," the nurse suggested, stepping back through the doors. Hearing a shriek, the group opened the doors and found the woman standing with her hands over her mouth.

"What is it, Nurse Joy? What's wrong?" Brock asked, the nurse turning toward them and pointing behind her. Looking past her, the group's eyes widened. The bed was empty, a breeze gently waving the curtain in front of the window.

"Zo's gone..."

* * *

><p><em>"You idiot...What are you doing...?"<em> the girl grunted, grasping her side as she leaned against the wall. Looking down at her hand, it flickered in a dark flash, changing into a paw and then back to a human hand. "Dammit...I can't keep this up..." She looked back at the distant window she had snuck out of, noticing figures moving. She hid around a corner, wincing as she looked into the sky.

"Ash...Where the hell did you go now...?"

* * *

><p>"So...What did you mean?" he asked, breaking the silence. The brunette glanced over at him. "Not to pry or anything, just...it confused me."<p>

"Figures," he obviously understood the insult in her voice, but he let it slide for the moment. "...I can't explain it, because it was kind of sudden...but it's just different."

"Different how?" he asked, the brunette rolling over onto her side and looking at him. He turned his head, still resting on his arms crossed beneath it as he looked back at her.

"Have you ever felt strongly for something...then realized there's something else that you care for just as much? It's been there for a long time, but you take it for granted and never noticed?" the man looked into the sky, thinking about her words.

"...Can't really say I have. Unless you mean food, then caramel popcorn is _clearly_ better than reg-"

"Hilbert."

"Alright, alright. Can't say I know."

"...Damn...Wish I could talk to someone who did know right now..." she sighed, stretching her arms up above her head. "Would really be useful."

"Thank you for letting me know how useful I am," he closed his eyes, hearing the girl laugh at him. "Sure, kick a guy while he's down..."

"No, that's not it," he opened one eye, glancing at her curiously. "It's just..."

"Just what?" he blinked, the girl stopping herself from finishing her thought.

"N-nothing. You're like a child."

"You're not thinking of me as _your_ child, are you? 'Cause that would be dis-"

"What was _that_?!"

"Owowowow! Ah, Arceus, let go! Free me, it was a joke! A joke!"

"It better have been, 'cause I _clearly_ don't look old enough to be a mother."

"That's not a bad thing, it doesn't mean you don't still look good!"

"..."

"...Oh Arceus, I'm losing the arm..."

"...What did you say?"

"Huh?" he blinked, the brunette releasing his arm from her dangerous hold. He rubbed his shoulder, noticing the brunette staring at him in surprise with a blush on her cheeks. "What?"

"What did you say just now?" the man cringed, thinking back on what he had said. Scratching his neck, he looked away.

"Nothing important."

"No, tell me," surprised, the man fell back as the brunette moved herself closer to him, coming face-to-face and staring at him intensely.

"Ah, jeez! I said you would still look good as a mom, okay?" he blabbed without thinking, the girl's cheeks going a light shade of scarlet.

"...You really think that...?" she slowly backed up, falling onto her behind on the grass, the man sitting up again.

"I guess...? I don't know what to tell you, honestly, I feel like you're gonna break my arm if I say anything else," he scratched his chin, noticing her move towards him again. He flinched, closing his eyes and waiting for the impact. Surprised, he felt the girl embrace him, resting the side of her head on his shoulder.

"Then stick with that..."

* * *

><p>"Crap...Where would he have gone...?" she asked herself, thinking of his usual spots. Recalling what she had overheard from the others after waking up, she quickly dismissed these spots. This situation was different. Deep in thought, she hadn't noticed the footsteps around the corner.<p>

"Whoa! S-Sorry!" the girl fell back, wincing as she hit the ground. Looking up, she saw Leaf holding her head, opening her eyes and looking down at her. "Zo? You're awake!" the pokemon glanced at the trees to the side, then back at the brunette. Scrambling to her feet, she hurried towards the bushes. "Wai- Zo! Wait up!" the brunette chased after the pokemon, catching her after she tripped and fell against a tree. "Wait, take it easy. You shouldn't be out of the center already, you're still hurt," she told her, helping the girl to her feet.

"No...I have to find Ash..." she said quietly, the Kanto trainer looking at her curiously.

"What? He's back in your room, he was by your side ever since the battle ended," she said, the pokemon closing her eyes.

"...He left again, and nobody knows where," Leaf looked at her oddly.

"But where would he have gone? The lake?" she asked, the pokemon shaking her head.

"No, this time is different, I can tell. Ash definitely doesn't want to be found this time, and when he doesn't want to be found, he isn't," she said in a serious tone, holding her side again. "I have to find him..."

"Hang on. You should go back to the center, I'll look for him, you still need to rest," she told her, the pokemon pushing her hand against the brunette's.

"No, I have to go. I can't just let him be like this, I have to help..." she winced, the brunette holding her up again.

"...Then where should we start looking?" looking at the brunette, Zo was only responded with a warm smile.

* * *

><p>"If someone sees this, I'm filing a lawsuit against you for sexual assault," Paul grumbled, the blunette only giggling in response.<p>

"Go ahead, but who would take you seriously? Besides, you love this~" she chimed teasingly, tightening her arms wrapped around him and pressuring her bare chest against his. He forced his gaze up to the roof, trying to ignore the traps pressed against him. It wasn't working.

"Explain to me again why you had to take your shirt off to hug me-"

"Because I wanted to be closer to you, silly."

"_And_ your bra?"

"Because we're in love, so why not?"

"Okay, that's where I draw the line. I'm not in this whole 'love relationship' crap, got it? I'm not saying it, I don't want you to say it, so leave it alone," he said strictly, the blunette lifting her head and pulling her chest away slightly, showing just enough to tease the man.

"So do you want me to let go?" the man mentally cursed himself. This is why she took off her clothes. If she were to move, she knew he wouldn't be able to look away forever. He sighed, his head hitting the pillow again.

"Dammit..." was all he could mutter, the blunette hugging him tightly again with a beaming smile.

* * *

><p>"None of his training spots, those would be too obvious..." she thought out loud, Leaf looking over at the center through the bushes. "Crap, where could he have gone...? I don't think he left Unova, I definitely would've noticed that..."<p>

"Wait, where did you guys train in Unova while you were on your own? Maybe he could have gone to one of those spots," she suggested, the pokemon beginning to think.

"...I don't know, we traveled a lot for different weather and stuff...but I guess there was a few places, there was the Desert Resort, but I can't think of any reason he would hide there..." Zo winced, suddenly clutching her side. "Man, I've gotta be overthinking this! Any place he would be he would've told me about, but he wouldn't think this much about it!"

"Yeah, knowing him you would think he's just hiding in the forest with grass camo on or something," Leaf laughed, the pokemon thinking more. Zo looked at the ground, focusing on the grass's green color.

* * *

><p>"Uh..."<p>

"That's the fifth time you've said that, is there something you want to say?"

"...Uh..."

"Oh, spit it out already. What's keeping you?"

"Why...?" he finally asked, the brunette looking at the dirt behind him oddly.

"What?" she asked, glancing back.

"...Why are you still hugging me? ...Is what I'm trying to say..." he said slowly, the brunette pulling away from him and looking at him confused.

"What's wrong with it?" she asked, the man snapping from his trance.

"Well, nothing's really _wrong_, per say...Just feels like a trap..." he said carefully, the brunette narrowing her eyes. "I-I mean, uh..." the man stopped, hearing the brunette start to laugh to herself.

"I...I'm sorry..." she said between laughs, holding a hand in front of her face. "It's just...You look so stupid...like that..."

"Oh, okay- Hey, wait!" the girl started laughing harder, falling softly to the ground on her side holding her gut. "Yeah, what a friend you are right now..."

* * *

><p>"Then what about the mall?"<p>

"No good, it's closed for the rest of the day."

"Well I'm running out of ideas here, there's no other place I can think of that he would go."

"That's the point, he picked somewhere he knows no one would think of. And with his weird habits and training methods, he really could be anywhere..."

"Habits? What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you stories later, after we find him."

"Okay. So what do you think about that after-party celebration tonight? With his showmanship, he would still go to that, don't you think?" Leaf asked. Zo blinked.

"So he's still nearby...Getting somewhere..."

* * *

><p>"Come on, Hilbert, I was only joking around," Hilda said, the man not looking back at her. "You can't really still be mad about it, can you?"<p>

"I am," he replied plainly, not turning around. She scrunched her nose to the side, crossing her arms as she followed him through the trees.

"Come on, you know you're not mad at me," she said childishly, the man only moving into his tent and lying on his stomach.

"Wrong."

"Jerk," she muttered, turning towards her own tent. She stopped, slowly looking towards his tent with a sly face.

"The insults are endless around here, this can't be good for my health..." Hilbert sighed, letting his head sink into the pillow as he closed his eyes. But interrupting his peace, he felt something drop onto his back. "What the-!"

"Say you're not mad," he glanced back, seeing the brunette sitting on his back with her legs off his side, arms crossed and looking down at him. He looked away, his face warming up.

"Get off me."

"Not until you say you're not mad."

"I _am_ mad."

"You are not, and you know it."

"I am mad at you! Do you know how stressful it is to put up with yours and Ash's insults all the time?"

"...Not a clue."

"_Very_!"

"Okay, sorry. Now say you're not mad."

"Never!"

"Come on, just say it already!" she whined childishly, turning her body. Taking this chance of lightening the weight on him, the man flipped and tried to slide out from beneath her. But her body had dropped down again and weighed down on his thighs, his eyes widening as he realized this situation was even worse. The man was lying on his back now, with the brunette sitting on his thighs with one leg on either side of him, pinning him down. "What is it?" his face flushed more as she leaned forward and looked down at him with a confused and curious look. He looked away.

"N-Nothing."

"No, what's wrong? Are you sick?" she asked, holding her hand against his forehead. His face burned more. "Whoa, you're burning!"

"I'm not sick, don't worry about it. Besides, why are you doing this?" she tilted her head in confusion. "I mean the whole childish act, and...the teasing..."

"Teasing?" she asked, the man giving a short nod.

"Like...Sitting on me right now..." she looked down at how they were positioned, her cheeks turning pink.

"O-Oh..." there was an awkward silence. "Well...does it bother you?"

"...That's not really the problem...I just feel like something's wrong, you're not the first person I would imagine doing this..." he told her, the girl looking to the side.

"Well...Do you mind?"

"Huh?"

"Do you mind...me being childish?"

"...Uh...Not really sure what to say, I'm just used to you being violent and...you know, insane."

"..."

"..."

"Does my childish side bother you...?"

"...Well, no...more confusing, than annoying..."

"I guess being rejected does weird things to the people you least expect, huh...?"

"Yeah, I guess...if that's what this is..."

"Wanna know something weirder? I think I've wanted to for a while, and this is a good chance...So I'll share something with you."

"What's th- Mmf?!"

* * *

><p>"I'm actually starting to get a headache..." Leaf moaned, clutching her head as she leaned against a tree.<p>

"You're one to talk, I haven't recovered from being roasted like a marshmallow," Zo chuckled weakly, wincing.

"Marshmallows...Say, he would have to be close to food, right? He's always hungry," Leaf beamed, the pokemon shaking her head.

"Sorry, but over the years he's starved himself to resist hunger. He can go without eating for a whole day," she stated, the Kanto brunette stifling a laugh.

"Not very impressive results for five years..."

"Yeah, I know," Zo chuckled in agreement, looking at the sky. "...Ash really is something else, isn't he?"

"Huh?" Leaf looked at the girl curiously, the pokemon closing her eyes with her head back.

"He loves his pokemon and friends like family, and he's one of the strongest trainers in the world...Except he can leave his friends for five years so easily, then return and avoid them..." Zo listed, the brunette beside her giving a frown.

"Yeah, not exactly a good point," she responded.

"But the fact that in those five years, every day he was apart from them...he worried and wondered about them..." Leaf looked at the girl surprised. "He never stopped talking about them, wondering if he should go back...Going back for good, or just for a visit...or just to see how they're doing without being noticed..."

"But, you guys never left that one place you talked about...That island, right? I thought you mentioned something like that."

"True, we never did do anything about his friends. I got to know him so well as his friend and pokemon, but there was one thing I never anticipated to happen to him."

"What was that?"

"A girl. Namely, you."

* * *

><p>The pair sat in silence, only staring at each other with blushes on their faces. Hilbert swallowed, feeling his heart beat faster as the brunette continued to stare at him. "...Ahem...uh...so...would you maybe...get off of me?"<p>

"Is it really a problem...?" she asked softly, her arms on either side of his head holding her up as her body hovered inches above his. She shifted her leg against his slightly which made him shudder.

"Well, not...not really a problem, just...kinda..." he trailed off, feeling the brunette look at him without breaking eye contact. "You know...weird."

"It's weird?" she asked, the man giving a nod as he looked away.

"Yeah, I mean...You like Ash, don't you?" the brunette didn't respond. Moments passed in silence, then the girl moved off of him and sat a few feet away. Hilbert sat up, cracking his neck.

"So that bothers you, then?" he looked at her in confusion, the girl looking back at him. "You're bothered that I like Ash...?"

"Well, when you do and you're as close to me as you just were...It kinda does, yeah, he's a close friend, after all," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Plus, if you like him as much as you say you do, then...you should be doing these things with him, right?"

"...Yeah..." the brunette slouched, lowering her head with her fists on her lap. He looked at her in concern, then recalled what Ash had told him during the intermission of the battle. Mentally cursing himself, he realized he had just kicked the girl while she was down.

"But, uh...Hey, there's always another chance, you know?" she slowly looked up at him, seeing his goofy smile with his arms behind his head. "When life gives you lemons, you drink orange juice, right?" the girl stared at him for a moment, then she cracked into laughter.

"W...What are you talking about? It's 'you make lemonade', idiot," she laughed, holding her hands over her mouth to try and stop laughing.

"Nah, that stuff's too bitter for me," he waved his wrist, the girl laughing harder at his stupid words. He smiled softly, seeing the girl let go in releasing the emotions she's kept inside. As her laughing finally calmed down, she looked at him with a smile.

"...Thank you. I really needed that," the man gave a nod, leaning back against the tree again.

"Hey...If you were in a situation where you like two girls, what would you do?"

"What? That's not much info to go off of."

"You just really like two girls and you're not sure if you should choose or not. What would you do?"

"Go for the hotter one, duh."

"And if that didn't go well?"

"Then I would take some time to myself, away from them."

"Huh? But what about the second one?"

"If I was dumped by one girl, no matter how bad it was, I wouldn't be low enough to jump to another girl right away. The odd chance she says yes, I would feel like it's out of pity."

"...Wow...I never thought you would say that..."

"Yeah, well, I can still surprise. Why do you ask, anyway?"

"...I was thinking of jumping to the second, but maybe you're right..."

"What?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it."

* * *

><p>"M-Me?" Leaf stuttered, surprised at the girl's words.<p>

"I knew Ash was different, but I never thought he would get a girl to like him, let-alone love him. Or three, for that matter."

"That number doesn't add up right."

"I only counted the main ones, in my opinion."

"Ah, okay."

"Anyway...I have to say, Leaf, you're one of the most amazing girls there are," Leaf's cheeks reddened, the pokemon giving a smirk as she faced her. "Not only did you manage to fall in love with an idiot like Ash, you actually got him to love you back. That takes real skills, girl."

"W-Well, that's not r-really..." the brunette twiddled her thumbs, glancing away.

"But really, you are special. You're kind, you've got a great smile, you're funny, you can make him laugh, and I always see him smiling now whenever you're around," Zo explained, the brunette looking at her in awe. "But, I would say the greatest advantage you have..."

"Being friends when we were kids?" Leaf guessed, the pokemon shaking her head.

"No, there's something bigger..." Zo trailed off, the brunette looking at her confused.

"Then what is it?"

...

... ...

... ... ...

Zo reached her hands out and squeezed.

"These puppies are _amazing_."

"HEY!"

* * *

><p>So between popcorn and corn dogs, you would pick popcorn?"<p>

"Yeah, why not? Wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, definitely, but- Oh, you're trying to avoid jokes, I get it now."

"What?"

"Okay, new one. The shy reserved guy, or the popular quarterback?"

"What? What happened to the whole food idea?" Hilda asked, her cheeks going pink at his question.

"Hey, we're adults here, can't you handle something other than food?" he chuckled, the brunette giving him a glare.

"Reserved. What about you?"

"The hotter one."

"There's rumors she's got a disease."

"I think I'll move to the countryside, I hear it's nicer where there are less people."

"_Wow,_ you're a coward."

"No, I'm just strategically placing myself for my ideal futuristic lifestyle."

"That is the most advanced sentence I have ever heard from you."

"Nice. You ask one."

"Okay...I take it we're going for anything now?"

"Sure, I can handle anything."

"Okay...If you had to choose between Ash and me, who would it be?"

"W-What?" he sat up, the man giving her an odd look.

"It's a fair question, and you caught me by surprise with your last one, so it's payback," she crossed her arms, giving him an expectant look. He looked at the grass, scratching the back of his head. "I know it's a lose-lose situation for you, considering we can both kick your ass when you deserve it, but hypo-"

"You."

...

... ...

"...Eh?" the brunette blinked, her cheeks warming up. The man lied back down, arms crossed behind his head as he watched the clouds pass over.

"There are definitely downsides to both sides, you can break my limbs yourself while Ash uses Charizard. But..." he closed his eyes. "...I guess looking at the entire picture, you're clearly the better decision."

"H-How so?" she asked, her heart starting to beat faster.

"We've known each other since nearly forever, so you're the only one I can really depend on in my life. Ash would demand something in return, Zo would be like Ash, and anyone else I don't know well enough to really trust. So you're the one person left," he glanced over at the girl, who sat stuck in a shocked daze. He smirked. "...Besides, your punishments aren't all bad. I don't mean it in a sick way, but it makes me feel like I'm getting closer to you. In a literal sense, obviously, since you li-" he stopped, hearing the brunette shift. He opened one eye, glancing over at her. He was surprised to see her crawling towards him. "Wh- Oh crap, no, I didn't mean to sound like a pe-"

"Why..." she leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder, the man freezing in surprise and confusion. He glanced down at her, questioning her actions. "...Why do you have to be like this...?"

"Uh...What am I like?" he asked blankly, the brunette pushing her palms against his chest and knocking him over. He winced, looking up again to see a surprise. She was starting to cry.

"Why...? You're such an idiot, but...sometimes, only _sometimes_...You can be really sweet...and caring..." she sniffled, trying to hold back the waterworks. "...If you were like this more often...you could actually...get more girls, you know...Maybe..." she chuckled weakly, wiping a tear from her eye. She smiled warmly, the man staring at her dumbfounded. "...I know one girl, for sure, who kind of fell for you because of that."

"..._Kind of_?"

* * *

><p>"Where...? There has to be somewhere else..." the brunette lifted her arm from over her eyes, looking at the clouds in thought.<p>

"Yeah, but where...?" the girl beside her pondered, wincing as she rubbed her forehead. "Did you really have to hit me? I'm still in recovery, you know."

"You deserved it. No one does that," the brunette's cheeks turned pink, turning her head in a huff.

"I know a certain someone who _wants_ to do that," Zo snickered, the brunette blushing deeper.

"You really are a different kind of person..." Leaf sighed, the pokemon giving a shrug.

"Yeah, pretty much. After all, it's not like I'm like you in the first place," she leaned back against the tree, noticing her eyesight had begun to get blurry. She rubbed her eyes, noticing that only made it worse.

"Well, I suppose we could...they...us out..." Zo moved her hand to her head, her hearing beginning to blur as well, only hearing parts of the girl's sentence. Suddenly, she felt heavy. "...Zo...? Zo...okay...?"

"Great...What...a downer..." then the girl collapsed.

"Zo! Zo, what's wrong? Hey, stay with me!" Leaf panicked, holding the girl's upper body up. She opened her eyes weakly.

"L...Leaf...Ash is..." the brunette waited impatiently for the girl to finish her sentence, but her breathing only got weaker. "Take...care..."

"Zo? Zo! Zo, stay awake, come on!" but the girl had already closed her eyes, her body becoming enveloped in an eery dark red glow.

* * *

><p>"Let me ask you something," Hilbert sat up, turning towards the brunette. "Is this behavior right now because of being rejected?"<p>

"What?" she asked, rubbing the last of her tears away.

"This behavior is definitely not like you, and believe it or not I'm concerned about you right now. It's not like you can't tell me what's wrong," he told her, the brunette shifting on the spot. She looked away.

"...Sort of..."

"How is it sort of? It's yes or no, are you acting like this because Ash rejected you?"

"That's not something I can reall-"

"Yes or no?"

"I said I can't, it's not only because of-"

"_Yes_ or _no_?"

"Why do you even want to know?"

"I just said I'm worried about you!" he grabbed the brunette's shoulders, taking her by surprise. "You're my closest friend, and it's not like I'm having fun watching you suffer like this! Acting differently to try and make yourself seem alright with everything!"

"...Hilbert..." the girl couldn't speak.

"...What you did earlier...Was that part of it, too? Or was it something else?" Hilda blushed, recalling her earlier actions.

"N-No, that wa-"

"It wasn't because you were rejected?"

"No, that's not it!"

"Then tell me, what _is_ it?"

"I didn't mean it as a joke or anything, I really did want that!"

"Then why would you confess to Ash? Why would you if you _really_ wanted to do that with me?"

"Because I didn't want to ruin it with you!"

"...Ruin it...?" he asked, taken back by her response.

"Ash is a weird person already, but he can be forgiving, so I was hoping even if he did reject me, that he would be able to put it behind us. But you...You've been my friend for so much longer, my _only_ friend. There was no way I could take the chance to make it awkward between us, if I did then I would have never been able to recover from that."

"...You really think that?" the brunette shifted uncomfortably, feeling too nervous to look at him again. Feeling something touch her chin, she was surprised to feel her head turned towards him, his eyes meeting hers. "There's only one thing that could ruin it between us."

"What's that...?" she asked quietly, her face heating up from being fairly close to his.

"...You going out with Ash. Do you know how freakin' weird that would be for me? Always being the third-wheel for my two best friends?" she only stared silently in response, unable to find her voice. Then she burst into laughter.

"I...I'm sor...I'm sorry..." she said weakly, barely able to hold her laughter to get the few words out. He crossed his arms, giving her an unamused look.

"Thanks. I try to be completely honest with you for once, and you laugh about it. Makes me feel like this was going so well," he sighed quietly, confused as he saw the girl's arms move past his head. Turning back to look at her, his face heated up as she suddenly pressed her nose against his, smiling.

"I think it did go well. Very," she told him, the man unable to suppress a contagious smile. "And I think it could still be better...With one little move from you..."

"I guess I should return the favor..." he replied, hesitating slightly before turning his head slightly, beginning to lean closer.

"Hilda! Hilbert!"

"And that's how you teach CPR! There's nothing suspicious about it!" the man suddenly shouted, pulling back quickly with a blush. The brunette blushed as she glared at him, swiftly driving her toes into his shin. As the man fell over groaning, the girl looked over at the intruder on their alone time.

"Zo?!" the man looked over immediately, seeing Leaf holding the small fox in her arms.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Zo passed out, and her transformation broke! She's really weak, I can barely hear her breathing!" the brunette panicked, the Unova pair jumping to their feet and standing over the fox.

"We gotta get her back to Nurse Joy, quick," Hilda said, the brunette giving a nod as the three began running for the building in the plaza. The man looked down at the fox, noticing a light white tinge fading from her fur.

* * *

><p>"Where's Leaf? Shouldn't she have come back by now?" Iris asked, the group looking around at each other for an answer.<p>

"I would think so, it has been a while. Maybe she's looking for Ash on her own," Brock suggested.

"She must be, she's probably worried about Ash more than any of us are," May said in a worried tone, holding her fist to her chest.

"Maybe _most_ of us," Max adjusted his glasses, his sister looking at him confused. "Face it, you don't exactly know when to let go-"

"Shut it," she dropped her fist onto his head with more force than earlier. "Do you think she found Zo?"

"Maybe. Zo couldn't have gotten far in her condition, after all, she must be resting somewhere nearby," Nurse Joy stated, the group looking around feeling uneasy.

* * *

><p>"Why are you so quiet?"<p>

"I'm waiting."

"You know I can't let go, unless you changed your mind on what you want~"

"No, I'm waiting for my untimely death by that ceiling tile falling and cracking my skull."

"Well that really kills the mood," the blunette lifted herself off slightly, beginning to move her arm between the man's eyes and her chest. Surprisingly, before she could, the man's arm moved quickly around her back and pulled her back down. Her cheeks turned pink, breaking into a warm smile as she rested her head against him again. "But you do know how to set the mood back again..."

"Any day now, tile..." he sighed, not moving his eyes from that spot. The pair suddenly jumped as there was an odd knocking on their window. They both looked over at it, glancing at each other.

"You wanna get that?"

"Wanna close your eyes?"

"Really, _now_ you decide to get embarrassed?"

"When there's other people in the picture, yes, I'm going to get embarrassed."

"Oh, so it's just me? Only I can have this treatment you so preciously keep to yourself?"

"I don't have to, you know," she suddenly leaned against him with more pressure, the man cringing as he could really feel the difference. The blunette held her hand on his left cheek, holding his head in place as she hovered her face less than an inch from his, their noses passing each other. The man became _very_ aware and concerned that he could feel her breathing on his lips, noticing she was running her tongue gently over her own. "If you want to have fun, just say so. I'll do anything you want~"

"Heh, yeah, I call BS on that," he glanced away nervously, the blunette deciding to go further. Paul felt nervous as her hands moved down, followed by a click. "Was...that...?" another click. And he knew for sure what this one was, considering it was on his lower body. "...You're bluffing."

"Our belts are already undone...What's stopping us~?" she whispered seductively into his ear, nibbling on the lobe gently as he felt her hands grab the sides of his pants.

"Hey, hey-! Okay, that's it! No, just _no_!" he tried to jump up, but the girl's hands pinned his arms down with greater force than he expected.

"Don't make me force it on you. Just enjoy it," she said softly, the man's cheeks burning hotter as he closed his eyes and turned away, considering there was nothing covering her chest anymore. "It's just us...No interruptions..."

"Wait, hold on, this isn't-!"

"Bwah!" the two froze as there was a thud heard on the balcony, followed by several smaller impacts then they stopped abruptly as the bed shook. They slowly looked over to see Hilbert sitting himself up, rubbing the back of his head with his eyes closed. "Oow...Since when could her kicks send you flying...?" he groaned, rubbing his eyes and opening them. There was an awkward silence as his eyes met the eyes of the pinned-down man on the bed, then the topless and uncovered blunette sitting on top of the man.

...

... ...

"...Guess everyone's getting interrupted today..."

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"You damn _bastard_!"

"Now hang on a mi-" the man was cut off, feeling Paul's fist connect with his cheek sending him tumbling back and crashing into the wall. Dawn rolled off the bed, dragging the bedsheet with her. "Aaah, _Arceus_...The hell, man...?"

"I should be asking _you_ that!" Hilbert felt himself lifted off the ground, a hand tightly gripping his collar.

"Whoa whoa, easy, it's not like I was trying to get in on this or anything, I swear! I'm innocent here!" he defended himself, Paul's expression not showing any change.

"Really? Just how in the _hell_ are you innocent by jumping into someone else's room through their balcony, without permission?! And how the hell did you even make it up on the balcony in the first place?" he demanded, the man holding his arms out in defense.

"Okay, let's all just calm down...First, I was kicked up here. Second, I was not aware you were having an intimate moment, I can assure you if I did know that I would not have interrup-"

"Just _why_ are you here?!" he shouted.

"Okay, okay! We couldn't go through the lobby and Zo really needs help!" he replied quickly in a cowardly tone, wincing as if prepared to be hit.

"Zo? What happened?" Paul glanced over briefly at the blunette, noticing she had wrapped herself with the bedsheet. Noticing Hilbert was trying to glance at her as well, he tossed him in the opposite direction. He walked towards the balcony, looking outside and noticing two figures on the ground below, with a smaller figure in-hand.

"I thought she was supposed to be recovering in the back room of the center," Paul said, looking back at the man. He sat up, rubbing the back of his hand across his lip.

"She went looking for Ash and collapsed...Now she can't hold her own transformation properly, her breathing's gone shallow," he told him, the blunette rushing to the balcony to see. Paul looked back, then at the man again. "You gotta help, Paul. I've got an idea of what's happening to her, and she'll need help now."

"Why didn't you just take her to Nurse Joy?" he asked.

"We don't want Ash to see her like this, it'll make him worry even more."

"Why are you worrying about that? He disappeared a while ago."

"What?! Damn, now _he's_ causing trouble? Alright, fine, we're going to Nurse Joy then!" he stepped out onto the balcony, motioning for the girls down below to go in the door. He ran through the room and opened the door, pausing to face the pair. "Sorry for interrupting, you can continue now," Paul glared, clenching his fist as the man closed the door behind him. The blunette hugged his arm.

"You heard him~" she whispered, the man giving a sigh before shrugging her off and moving to the door.

"Now's not the time, Zo's health didn't look good," he told her, opening the door.

"I knew you'd say that," she chuckled, following him.

* * *

><p>"Did you find her collapsed like this outside?" Joy asked, connecting wires and cord patches to the small fox.<p>

"No, I found her trying to look for Ash but she was weak. We were thinking of where to look for him, but then she collapsed," Leaf explained, the nurse looking concerned for the dark-type.

"Her condition got worse because she pushed herself. If she hadn't forced herself and gone outside, then she would at least be more stable," the woman stated, pressing a stethoscope against the fox's chest. "From what I can tell, her conditions consider one strong possibility of what's causing this, but her lack of strength doesn't match. Her weakness is considerably abnormal..."

"Well, she was really hurt from her battle against Volcarona," Leaf pointed out.

"No, that's not it," Hilda replied, the brunette looking at her confused. "She _was_ weak from the battle, but after resting, she would've at least regained some energy. There must be something else taking her strength."

"Nurse Joy...You said there was one strong possibility of the cause, right?" Hilbert asked, the woman giving a nod. "...Then I must be right..." the man sighed, falling into a chair and supporting his head with his elbows on his knees.

"Hilbert, you know what's causing this?" Leaf asked, the man looking at the fox with a sad expression.

"Yeah...She's weak from the battle, but there's something else she's fighting against..."

"Evolution."

"What?" everyone looked in the doorway, seeing Paul and Dawn walking into the room.

"You said she's fighting against something. She's trying not to evolve, isn't she?" Paul asked, everyone looking at Hilbert in surprise. The man sighed.

"...That's it. For a while now, Zo's been fighting off evolution," Hilbert said, the girls looking at the fox in confusion.

"But...Why? If it's taking her strength right now, she can't handle using the last of her strength like that!" Hilda exclaimed, Hilbert putting his hand on her shoulder.

"She's doing it because of a promise. A promise she made with Ash," Hilbert told her, the brunette looking at him in shock.

"How do you know? Did he tell you and not me?" she asked, the man shaking his head.

"Zo told me herself. Ash would never tell this to anyone," he said, looking at the dark-type breathing weakly as he began recounting the time he had discussed this with Zo.

* * *

><p><em><span>Flashback<span>_

_"Man, I'm beat!" Zo collapsed onto her stomach, panting. The man sitting beside her laughed._

_"If you act like that in front of Ash, he's only gonna go harder on you," Hilbert told her, Zo glaring at him._

_"Shut up...It's not like...you know..." she panted._

_"I've noticed it from watching Ash train," he told her, glancing behind the tree he was leaning against, seeing his friend training his pokemon. Noticing a strange glow, he looked down to see the fox's fur glowing a tinge of white. "Wha-? Zo...?"_

_"Huh? Oh no, not now!" she clenched her eyes, grunting quietly as the tinge began to fade. Hilbert watched in amazement as her fur returned to normal, the fox rolling onto her back and panting heavier._

_"Zo...Was that...?"_

_"Don't...say a word...to Ash..."_

_"But, why? Zo, if you can evolve, Ash would be glad. You could easily prove to him you're stronger than the others."_

_"That's exactly why...I refuse..." the man looked at her confused. "Evolution makes you stronger...So if I don't evolve...I have to work harder to become stronger..."_

_"Why do you want that?" he asked._

_"I don't want Ash...to let me evolve out of pity..." the fox stood up weakly. "I refuse to evolve...I'll become stronger than the others...just as I am..."_

_"Zo..." Hilbert stared at the pokemon in amazement, then she felt herself collapse. But something caught her. "I won't say anything to Ash, but promise me something in return," he said, holding the fox up until she regained her composure._

_"What's that?" she asked, looking at him oddly._

_"I understand you don't want to evolve, but the longer you reject it, the more energy it will take to resist. So if you get really hurt or weak because of this, promise me you won't push yourself too far."_

_"What are you talking about-?"_

_"I mean it. You're Ash's best friend, beside Pikachu. So if resisting evolution takes a dangerous amount of energy to resist, I want you to just let it happen. And I know Ash would want the same thing too. He wouldn't want you to go to the brink of death because you're stubborn."_

_"...That does sound like him...Fine, fair enough. But if I can still stand while resisting it, I'm staying as I am."_

_"That's safe with me."_

* * *

><p>"So what do we do? Just let her exhaust herself?" Leaf exclaimed, the man crossing his arms as he stared at the fox.<p>

"...There's not much we can do. Even if we wanted to help, it's not like we can force evolution. She has to let it happen herself," he explained, the brunette frowning.

"But...Ash disappeared, I don't want to feel helpless with this too..." her arms fell to her sides.

"Right now, you should focus on finding Ash," Nurse Joy suggested, the woman taking a small bottle from a cupboard. "I'll help Zo as much as I can with medication to replenish her energy, but I can't say it will fix this. And if we must convince Zo to evolve, Ash may be of great help in doing so," she explained, the man giving a nod as he stood up.

"She's got a point, Zo is beyond stubborn. Ash may be the only one able to influence her," he stated, starting towards the door.

"So where are we looking, then?" the man looked at Hilda and Leaf, who looked at him expectantly with their arms crossed. "You can't expect to leave us behind."

"Same here!" the blunette exclaimed, tugging on Paul's arm.

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter..." Paul sighed. Hilbert chuckled, earning a glare from the man.

"...Honestly, I have no idea where to start."

"You are _such_ a big help."

"Me and Zo have already thought about this, and we established he can't be anywhere nearby. She said he definitely didn't want to be found this time."

"Impossible."

"What?" Leaf asked, looking confused at Hilbert. He and Hilda looked at each other.

"He has to be nearby."

"Yeah, he couldn't have left. His bag and pokemon were still at the campsite," Hilda said, Leaf's fist moving to her chest and clenching.

"...Then he is still here...He would never leave his pokemon...his family behind..." she muttered, her lips breaking into a relieved smile.

"So where did you and Zo think he would most likely be? Out of all the places?" Dawn asked.

"Well, we crossed off just about all his training spots. They seemed too easy," she replied, starting to think. "...Zo and I had mutual doubts, but...we never actually checked the lake..."

"Then let's start there, we may as well," Hilbert said, pulling a pokeball from his belt and giving a nod to Hilda. "Mandibuzz and Braviary should be able to handle all of us."

"ATTENTION, ALL TRAINERS AND FANS. THE AFTERPARTY CELEBRATION WILL BEGIN IN ONE HOUR."

"What?! That's a bit short-notice!" Leaf exclaimed, Dawn gasping.

"I won't be able to get ready in time!" she exclaimed, Paul slipping his arm from her grasp.

"Go get ready, we'll find him in time," he told her, the girl looking at him surprised. He glanced away. "There's no sense in letting you miss a chance to look fancy, so go nuts."

"...I told you you were nice," she leaned forward and pecker her lips against his cheek, giggling as she hurried off towards her room. Everyone looked at the man slyly.

"Shut it, let's just find this idiot already," he sighed, walking out the door.

* * *

><p><em>"...Huh...? Where...?"<em>

_"I wouldn't have needed your help, anyway!"_

_"Huh?" Zo opened her eyes, taking in her surroundings. She appeared to be in a forest, standing near a cliff, but what shocked her was who else was there._

_"Excuse me, but you were just about to be pushed off a cliff right there," her eyes widened, recognizing the boy speaking in a childish tone. "Huh? You talked!"_

_"Ash...Then this is...!" her eyes drifted to the grass in front of him, noticing a small black-furred fox._

_"Yeah, so I did. But Mee-Ma told me I should never talk to strangers," the fox replied, scratching behind her ear._

_"This is...When Ash and I met..." Zo thought, stepping back in shock. "I was...talking with Leaf, then...I got dizzy...I must've passed out, now I'm dreaming..." she moved her hand to her head, clenching her eyes shut and shaking it. "It's a dream, just a memory," she told herself, then the world flashed white around her. Opening her eyes again, she noticed the scenery had changed. She recalled the area being Lacunosa Town._

_"Hey! Get back here!" she turned around, noticing a small figure jump into the air carrying an apple in its mouth. The man swung at the pokemon, but it's body shifted into a bird and it flew away. Zo ran after the bird, finding it had landed not too far away. It shifted back to its original form, taking a bite of the apple._

_"Some humans can be such suckers..." the pokemon chuckled telepathically, Zo crossing her arms with a frown._

_"I sound so...arrogant..." she thought in disappointment, watching herself bite the apple again._

_"Someone like you shouldn't be stealing, you know," a voice caught her attention, she looked over and noticed a figure standing in the shadow of a tree. "To survive in this world, you have to make it your own way."_

_"Well, sorry to disappoint you, guy, but sneaking around and stealing _is_ my way," the fox replied, snickering._

_"So you're telepathic...You must be quite the special one..." he muttered, the fox huffing._

_"Of course I am, I'm the strongest pokemon around here. And if you're planning on trying to catch me, you've got no chance," she told him, the figure pulling a pokeball from his pocket and releasing a beam of light. As it struck the ground, an intense flame rippled as the light took form of an intimidating fire lizard._

_"So you think you can stand up to Charizard here? Before you start talking big, just keep in mind that my friend here has already defeated two legendary pokemon," the lizard huffed a flame to the side, quickly disintegrating a bush. The fox got nervous, stepping back from her opponent. Then she stopped, putting one foot forward as she took a battle stance. "You're a brave one, I'll give you that."_

_"Mee-Ma taught me that I should never back down from an opponent who speaks highly of himself, because it will be their own demise!" the fox told him, the man giving a chuckle._

_"You might want to rethink that one," he said, the fire-type drawing in a breath with flames starting in its throat._

_"And I never would have been able to be with Mee-Ma if I didn't get help...Without my good friend, I would never have seen her again!" the fox exclaimed, the man arching an eyebrow._

"Mee-Ma? It can't be..."_ the man thought, crossing his arms. "So where is this friend of yours now?"_

_"I...don't know..." the fox's tone went quiet, looking at the ground with soft eyes. "I haven't been able to find him since that time...But I'll never stop searching. He taught me that having friends and family is worth more than living!" the pokemon exclaimed, the man cringing at her words. The fox noticed this hesitation, firing a purple sphere at the fire-type who easily deflected it with its wing. The flames in its throat grew stronger, the fox stepping back defensively._

_"Charizard, we're done here," the two pokemon looked at the figure confused, the fire-type surprised to feel itself being recalled into its pokeball._

_"Hey, what're you doing?! Giving up already?" the dark-type snapped, the figure giving a weak laugh._

_"I see your stubborn attitude hasn't changed," he said, slowly stepping forward. "And I'm surprised you still remember what I told you."_

_"What?" the fox cocked its head curiously, keeping its guard up as the man stepped out of the shadows. She was surprised as she saw the figure's identity._

_"Ash?"_

_Zo looked back and forth between her past self and her past trainer, slowly breaking into a smile. "...And this is where I decided to go along with him..."_

* * *

><p>"Well, this is disappointing..." Paul muttered, giving a sigh as he stared across the shining body of water, the sun beginning to set in the distant sky.<p>

"This can't be...He's gotta be hiding..." Leaf told herself frantically, looking in every direction repeatedly.

"Leaf, don't exhaust yourself. He's not here," Hilbert told her in a disappointed tone, crossing his arms behind his head. "So where would he be next, then...?"

"Aaaaaassh!" Hilda shouted, the echo of her voice disappearing through the trees. No reply.

"No sense continuing to waste time here, let's go," Paul stuffed his hands in his pockets, moving towards the flying-types that had brought them there.

_"This can't be right...There must be something we're missing...The most important thing about all of this..." _Leaf thought with a frown, giving a defeated sigh as she followed her friends to the pokemon.

* * *

><p><em>"So you've been searching for me? Not this whole time, I assume," Ash said, taking a drink from the cup of coffee. Zo had followed her past self and Ash in her memory to a small cafe.<em>

_"No, not quite. I've been searching about...A little over a month now, I think," she replied, scratching behind her ear as she sat on the table across from him. The boy looking surprised._

_"Really? Why?" he asked, the fox standing up and facing him with a smile._

_"I've changed my mind about your offer."_

_"...What was that again?"_

_"Seriously?! You asked me if I wanted to come along with you!"_

_"Oooh, right- Wait, what?"_

_"Which part is confusing you? The offer that _you_ made or me changing my mind?"_

_"So, you want to come with me now?"_

_"Yeah, what's so hard to believe?" the fox asked, sitting back down with a smile. "Back when we met, I could easily tell you cared about your friends and pokemon. Not to mention you took the time to help a stranger like me, who was only rude to you when we had only just met. I caused you trouble back then in helping me find Mee-Ma, and I don't think I can repay you enough. But if I can come with you and help you win battles, then I'll do the best that I can," she grinned, the trainer giving a smirk._

_"Then I guess there's only one thing left to say," the trainer pulled a red and white sphere from his pocket, pressing the button on the center making it grow larger. He set it on the table beside the fox. "This spot was always open for you, so welcome to the family."_

_"Glad to be here," the fox smiled, bumping its paw on the sphere. It opened up, consuming the fox in a red light and disappearing into the pokeball. Zo smiled._

_"That was the moment my life changed..." she said to herself, chuckling lightly. "I don't know where I would be without him..." then the world flickered around her. The girl blinked, noticing something had changed. Ash was still sitting at the table, but he looked different. The Ash she was looking at was the to-date image of him. "Why does he look like he does now...?"_

_"I'm sorry..." he caught her attention with his quiet words, she leaned in closer to hear him better. "I'm sorry...Leaf..." as Zo realized what she was watching, the next event was something she had never seen before._

_A tear from Ash's eye hit the table. Then the world around her turned to black._

* * *

><p>"Ash!" the nurse jumped, surprised by the voice. She turned around, noticing Zo was sitting up and reaching an arm out as if trying to grab something.<p>

"Zo? You're awake!" she exclaimed, the fox looking at her confused.

"Wha...Nurse Joy...?" she looked around, realizing she was in a bed in her true form. "Wait, when did I change back? Where am I?"

"You're in the treatment room of the center, just relax and don't strain yourself. Your body is already strained enough, there's no need to make it worse," she explained, trying to convince the girl. Zo slowly calmed down, looking down at her paw.

"Wait, when did my transformation break?" she muttered, the nurse setting a bowl of water on the bed next to the dark-type.

"It was when you collapsed looking for Ash, you had exhausted yourself too much to hold it. Here, you need to get your strength back," the fox looked curiously at the water, then began drinking it. "You caused us a lot of worry, you know. Disappearing so suddenly when you can barely stand on your own."

"...Sorry, it's just...I need to find Ash, I can't let him run off like this," she said in a serious tone, the woman giving a smile.

"I can tell you care about him. The others are just as worried as you are, they're even looking for him right now, so you don't have to take this on yourself," she told her, the fox looking out the window.

"I know, but...They don't know him like I do. They may have been best friends years ago, but that was _years_ ago. Ash has changed, if only a little, so no one knows the Ash of today as good as I do. I've been with him more than anyone else," she explained, stretching her legs. "Do you have an energy drink for pokemon or something? I gotta start looking for him again."

"What? Zo, you can't go out again, you're in no condition to be moving around," the nurse said, but the fox was already standing up.

"I'm sorry, Nurse Joy, but this isn't something you can stop me from doing. I'm going to find Ash, and I'm going to hit him because he's being an idiot about this," she shook her fur, stepping to the edge of the bed.

"Zo, please, you can't. If I let you go like this, none of the others would forgive me. Do you think Ash would be happy if I let you go in such a state?" she asked, the fox stopping.

"He may be my trainer, but he doesn't make all my decisions. He's my friend, so I have a say in my actions too," she told the nurse, hopping to the floor.

"If there really is no changing your mind on this, at least do one thing for me," the nurse pulled a package from one of the cupboards below.

"What is this?" Zo asked, looking at the wrapped item the nurse was holding.

"I want you to make sure that Ash goes to that celebration party, but that he comes back here for this first. He'll need it," she gave a wink, the fox giving a smirk.

"He's gonna give me hell for that...But that would be better than that stupid vest he's always wearing," the fox gave a nod, the nurse smiling as she set the package on the counter.

"Thank you. Just don't try running or anything too serious yet, try to take it easy," she told her, the fox giving a huff.

"I always take it easy, Ash doesn't let me battle enough to be serious," she snickered.

"The others went down to check the lake, so you won't have to look there. Where are you gonna start?" the pink-haired woman asked, the fox scratched behind her ear.

"I dunno, really...I mean, there's no place where he would really go if he were trying to hide..." Zo began pondering, the nurse looking out the window.

"Well, maybe he's trying to hide somewhere no one would know to find him. Somewhere no one else knows about," the nurse suggested, the fox shaking her head.

"But I can't think of anywhere like that, that's the point of it being somewhere no one else knows about. I can't even believe he's doing this to us, to _Leaf_," she replied, the nurse giving a nod.

"It does seem unbelievable. I mean, I may not have known Ash before this competition, but I can instantly tell that Leaf was the first one to bring out Ash's real emotions," she told her, the fox giving a nod as she pondered.

"Yeah, he's never really shown emotions before-" she cringed, straightening up with wide eyes. "...Showing emotions...Leaf..."

"Zo? What is it?" Joy asked, the fox jumping to her feet.

"...I can't believe that guy..."

* * *

><p>"Where the heck is he?!" Hilda sighed heavily, frustrated.<p>

"Aaaaaassh! Heeeereee, booooyyy!" Hilbert called out, Paul giving a sigh.

"He'll send Charizard in his place if you call him like that."

"I know, at least we'll know the direction he came from. Noble sacrifice, huh?"

"More like stupid without thinking."

"Hey, you're supposed to defend me, Hilda."

"Why should I defend you?"

"That's a good point, you _should_ be defending him. After whatever-it-was that happened earlier, you guys should be acting closer, right?"

"What are _you_ talking about?"

"Oh come on, don't deny it. Something happened between you two, right?"

"W-What are you saying?! Me and him?!"

"Hilda, there's no point. Hilbert even said before, that 'everyone is getting interrupted today' when he flew into our room which meant he was implying that he was before that."

"That sounds logical, but I can assur- Wait, _everyone_'s getting interrupted? Did he interrupt you doing something?"

"Oh _arceus_, yes, it was so funn- Ow! Paul, don't be an ass!"

"That's my whole character! Now shut up!"

"Guys, stop it!" Leaf snapped, the boys immediately going quiet. "Now let's get three things straight. One, something happened between you two," Leaf looked at Hilda and Hilbert, who only blushed faintly and looked away from each other in response. "Two, apparently something happened between you and Dawn as well."

"What makes you think it was her?" he asked.

"So it _was_ something?"

"...Just continue."

"And three, Ash is out there somewhere on his own, avoiding us because he's thinking stupid thoughts. We all know Ash is a great person and trainer, and that he deserves the champion title more than anyone, so we have to help him believe that instead of doubting himself," the three looked at each other, breaking into smiles (smirk in Paul's case).

"She's right, he can't be bummed about pushing a world champion into a corner in a battle," Hilda stated, the others nodding in agreement.

"As annoying as he is to deal with, I can't deny she has a point," Paul crossed his arms, giving a sigh.

"You got that right. Now let's go find our friend!" Hilbert thrusted his fist into the air, the others looking at him oddly. He glanced around nervously. "...I thought we were doing a cheerful friendship thing..."

"No. How much time do we have left, anyway?" Paul asked, Hilda and Hilbert checking the devices on their wrists. They gasped.

"Oh crap, we've got ten minutes until the party!" they exclaimed, Leaf gasping as well.

"So?" Paul asked, not understanding their alarm. "We'll skip the party."

"...Okay, I don't want to postpone the search for Ash, but I have to point out that it is _really_ weird that you sound concerned about finding him," Hilbert stated, the man giving a sigh.

"The longer I avoid the party, the longer I avoid Troublesome, so I would rather search for this idiot than deal with that idiot," he replied, the others looking at him blankly.

"...Okay. But we have to be there though, Alder told us that all competitors are recommended to go!" Hilda said, Paul arching an eyebrow.

"_Recommended_?"

"We still can't deny the Unova champion's invitation!"

"She's right. Besides, Ash may already be back getting ready for the party and we're wasting our time here. He may be waiting for us, so we gotta go."

"What about Hilbert? He can still search, right? May as well be safe about it."

"Actually...I can't. I gotta go to the party, too. Special request of Alder."

"What?" Paul asked, Hilbert crossing his arms behind his head as he glanced at Hilda.

"Alder asked us to take care of something, and we gotta be there for it," Hilbert said, Hilda giving a nod of agreement.

"Okay then, it's settled. We're all going to that party," Leaf stated. "I gotta get ready, I still haven't tried on my new dress yet."

"Seriously, what is with women and new dresses? Oxygen is more important, you should appreciate that more," Paul sighed, turning away from the group. Leaf glared at him, then looked to the sky with a frown.

_"I'm sorry, Ash...I really hope you'll be back at the party..."_

* * *

><p>"Another coffee for you, sir?" the waitress asked, the man with his head down on the table giving a faint nod. As she poured the drink, she glanced at him awkwardly. "I know it's not my place to say, but seeing that this is your sixth cup in the past hour...Are you going through something bad? Like a breakup?"<p>

"...I lost my commitment...I finally realized that my dream was just too much for me..." he muttered quietly, the woman giving him a sad look.

"...You know what, this one's on me. If you need another, just give a wave and I'll know," she said, walking away from the man. He sighed, lifting his head and running a hand through his jet-black hair.

"...Zo...Leaf...I'm so sorry, you guys..." he muttered, letting his face drop into his palms.

"Well, that's pretty depressing. Coming from the new pokemon master of the world."

"...How...?" he glanced up through his palms, noticing the familiar girl sitting across from him, giving a smirk. "...How did you...?"

"Find you? Not easy, I'll give you that, but you forgot one thing. I'm your pokemon, your _family_. I'll find you no matter what," she smiled, the man still looking at her expectantly. "...Okay, I had a dream of when we met here and Nurse Joy said you would be hiding somewhere no one else knows about. I put two and two together, here you are."

"Why would you assume this is the place that no one else knows about? You know about it, don't you?" he asked, the girl shaking her head.

"But being the jerk you are, I bet you thought that I forgot about this place, didn't you?" she looked at him expectantly, the man giving a smirk as he glanced away. "That's what I thought. Plus there was a second part to my dream where I thought I saw you here, like today."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you were dressed just like you are now and you seemed like you were hiding something too," she replied, the man arching an eyebrow.

"Huh..." was all he said.

"So, I'll get straight to the point that I came here for," she stated bluntly, swiftly driving her foot into the man's shin below the table. He grunted, glaring at the girl as her palm almost immediately slapped across his cheek as hard as he had ever felt from her. He dropped his palm onto the table to maintain his balance, the entire cafe and surrounding area going silent. Zo crossed her arms and closed her eyes, Ash inhaling deeply as he lightly flicked his wrist in the air as if he were signalling to everyone he was okay.

"I don't think both of those were necessary, I get that you're pissed."

"That wasn't from me. The shin was from the guys' anger, and the slap was from most of the girls."

"You're just making excuses to hit me..."

"No, and you should be thankful for it. I haven't even shown you a _fraction_ of my rage yet."

"The '_yet_' part is what makes telling me pointless."

"I know. But if you're afraid of that..."

"It's not fear."

"How will you deal with Leaf's anger?"

...

... ...

The man remained silent.

"That's what I thought..." she sighed, shaking her head in disappointment. "Honestly, you've talked to me about her as if your entire world revolves around her. If she goes on another journey or disappears, what's your plan-"

"She will _not_ disappear," Zo cringed. She had barely ever heard Ash use that tone before, she felt like her body wouldn't respond.

"...R-Regardless, what's your plan? Act cold and isolated like before? Admit it, Ash, the time you've spent at this tournament is the happiest you've ever been. And that's because you were with her," Zo told him, the man staring coldly into his coffee.

"She won't leave. You know how stubborn she is."

"Are you sure? Because don't forget, your friends thought the same about you."

"What...?"

"Think about it. You were their best friend, the confident and hyper kid who was friendly to anyone he met. Then _you_ just disappeared. Not a word. Who's to say Leaf won't end up the same way?"

"She's made it clear that she doesn't trust me on my own."

"Fair enough. But if you're depressed and gloomy, what do you think _she _will think is wrong? Will she really believe that it's your skills you don't approve of?"

"What are you-..."

"She's a woman, Ash. You're no expert, but even you know what happens when a girl sees her boyfriend cut himself off from her."

"...What are you getting at?"

"Ash...She's going to think it's _her_."

* * *

><p>"How long does it take for women to get ready...?" Brendan muttered, tapping his toe as he glanced backwards down the hallway. Brendan, Hilbert, Paul and Brock each stood in the lobby of the center, waiting on the three fashion-obsessive women in the room. Brock wore a flashy white tux with a black bowtie, Brendan wore a white tux as well but with a deep blue tie, Paul wore a regular black suit with a deep purple tie, and Hilbert wore a dark red suit with a red tie.<p>

"Too long."

"That's for sure."

"Well, at least Misty and Iris went ahead already. I'm glad they were ready so quickly and took Max and Cilan too, honestly, I'm kinda weirded out by that guy's vocabulary."

"Ah, you young men have much to learn in the secrets of handling women," Brock said, acting high and mighty. Hilbert smirked.

"But from what I've heard about you, all three of us have still scored better," Brock fell over, streams of odd-looking tears running down his cheeks.

"It's not true...It's not true..." he muttered, Brendan looking at the man with an awkward chuckle.

"I think that was a little too far," he said, Hilbert shook his head with a smirk. Brock suddenly jumped to his feet, surprising them.

"Well, anyway, I'll go check and see how long they'll take," and with that, he walked down the hallway towards their room.

"You should learn to grow up, women are nothing more than annoying," Paul said sharply with one foot against the wall, leaning back.

"Oh, you're just saying that 'cause you have Dawn chasing you all over. We get it, you're the luckiest," Hilbert sighed, Paul glared at him.

"What was that? Troublesome is nothing more than a nuisance always interrupting my peace."

"Oh really? You're not happy about her t-"

"Watch it."

"Oh come on, we're all thinking it. Paul is the luckiest of us for that exact reason."

"Well what about him? That Hoenn girl's not so bad herself."

"Ho-_ho_, look at Paul taking an observational interest in women!"

"It's either you don't find what you're looking for, or you always find what you're not looking for."

"That's why Dawn settled on you, huh?"

"What was that?"

"A-Anyway, I guess Hilbert did get the short end of the stick in this situation."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Hilbert blinked, looking at them oddly. Paul and Brendan glanced at each other blankly, the following images forming in their mind in order.

Dawn holding a watermelon, laughing.

May holding a cantaloupe, laughing.

Hilda holding a washboard, no sounds heard.

The two men stifled their laughter, nearly unable to contain it.

"What? What are you talking about?" Hilbert asked, Brendan slowly leaning as his side began to hurt.

"N...N...N-Nothing..." he uttered weakly in a regular tone. Hilbert looked at Paul, who oddly enough, was trying to contain his laughter just as much as Brendan.

"...This is way too freaky..." Hilbert muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes. Then Brock returned.

"They said they hit a little snag, so we should go on without them," he stated, Hilbert looking unamused.

"...Seriously."

"Serious."

"...Why! Just what kind of _snag_ was this?!"

"R...Relax, we...we should just...go..."

"What's with you two?"

"N...Nothing, let's...go..."

"Honestly, women always find _snags_ in everything. Now I understand how you think, Paul."

"I bet Hilda didn't catch this snag," Brendan's legs suddenly gave way, unable to contain himself as he burst out into laughter. Paul had given up as well, laughing just as much as the other man as he bent over from sudden weakness. Brendan raised his palm up to Paul, Paul returning the hi-five and walking out of the lobby in laughter. Hilbert looked oddly at the two, then it clicked.

"Oh, you _bastards_..."

* * *

><p>"Welcome, everyone, to the celebratory ball of the Arc Tournament's completion!" the crowd applauded as the short man with the large beard at the mic cleared his throat afterwards. "The speeches will begin after some dancing, so please, before you turn your attention to the business of this tournament, enjoy yourselves and have fun."<p>

"Aaaaand they're still not here," Hilbert sighed, Paul and Brendan sighing in agreement.

"Honestly, why did we expect them to make it on time?" Brendan asked.

"And why do we always talk in turns?" Paul asked. The three shrugged.

"They better get here soon, I'm starting to feel weird here..." Brendan glanced around, noticing couples beginning to dance already.

"Why do you feel weird?" Hilbert asked.

"Well, couples are dancing all around...and I'm here with you two."

"Oh shut up, you should be flattered."

"I don't agree with that second part, but yes, shut up."

"We've been on some pretty crazy adventures, us three at this tournament," Hilbert crossed his arms behind his head, speaking as if reminiscing.

"What do you mean, like walking in on Dawn and May half-naked in the lake?" Brendan asked, Hilbert giving a smirk.

"That's _exactly_ what I mean. And here we are, alive to tell the tale."

"We sure are. I'm most surprised about Paul, though."

"What?"

"Every day, you're getting suffocated by Dawn. Hell, you act like the worst guy in the world but you've still gotten to second base."

"The hell are you talking about? I've never-"

"Don't bother, it's Dawn. She's always hugging you, clinging to your arm, whispering to you, smiling, she even kissed you, man."

"S-shut it."

"Ahaha, he's blushing! That's awesome!"

"I said shut it!"

"Alright, new subject. What about you, Hilbert? Not exactly good, but you've had a lot of...er, _unique_ situations."

"Oh, Arceus, between the life struggle with Charizard and Hilda?"

"Yep. I'm kinda surprised, but glad that you're still in one piece. I thought you'd be like an amputee by now."

"Nah, I'm too awesome for that. Plus I've had years of practice before this tournament."

"Only furthering the question of how you're still alive right now."

"Agreed."

"Well, there's still you, Brendan."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...I actually can't think of anything."

"What?!"

"No offense, but you haven't really done anything interesting worth remembering."

"There's _everything_ in offense with that!"

"Alright, take it that way then."

"He's got a point though, I'd say the biggest thing about you I remember is getting that lucky night with May," Hilbert stated, the man looking oddly at him.

"Paul got lucky with Dawn too," he said, the Sinnoh trainer giving a sigh.

"Can you stop referring to it as 'getting lucky'?" he asked, the other two glancing at each other.

"He's shy," Hilbert whispered to the Hoenn trainer, the man giving a nod. Paul glared at the pair. Suddenly their eyesight was taken from them.

"Aah! The power's out! Save the women!" Brendan shouted, panicking.

"Really, this is just childish," Paul muttered, the two men feeling themselves pulled around then held in place. Their eyesights returned at the same time, they both noticed Hilbert in the side of their eye, with his arms crossed behind his head and a guilty smirk on his face.

"Well?" the two men heard simultaneously, their eyes returning forward. Needless to say, they froze.

"What do you think?" May wore a flashy red dress down to her ankles, the dress opened just below the midpoint of her left thigh. The top of the dress was strapless, with shining rhinestones embedded along the top edge of the chest. The brunette's hair was straightened down her back, and the dress hugged every one of her curves perfectly.

"We want to hear it from you first~" Dawn teased, giving a wink with her hand on her waist. Her hair was straightened down as well. Her dress was a light blue with similar pattern to May's in length and opening on the thigh. But the dress covering the chest was lined with shining rhinestones as well as the straps, it was open on the back revealing the blunette's soft skin, with the two straps going around her neck and meeting at the back, holding the the fabric covering her chest. Or most of it, at least, as the fabric left a triangle of the girl's cleavage to show.

"...Uuh..." was all either of them could say. Hilbert snickered to himself.

"We knew you would be speechless, but come on, at least _try_," the brunette giggled.

"Yeah, Paul-y, you usually have a lot more to say when we're alone~" Dawn said quietly, the man blushing more. He blinked, shaking his head. He smacked Brendan, who snapped out of it as well.

"...Oh! Uh...You, uh...look nice?" Brendan said hesitantly in an uncertain tone. The peaceful aura around them disappeared.

"You just killed us both, you moron," Paul sighed, rubbing his eyes. Brendan looked at him oddly, then looked at the girls who made him afraid. They both looked at him intently.

"Really? Is that _all_ you have to say?" they both asked menacingly, the man breaking into a sweat as he backed away nervously.

"W-Wait, come on! Give me a break, I'm nervous here! I don't know what to say, there are no words to use for this!" he tried to defend himself, closing his eyes and wincing as he expected a slap. But nothing happened. Cautiously opening one eye, he saw May smiling at him warmly.

"Well if there are no words, then why not start with that?" she chuckled as she punched his shoulder lightly, the man looking at her confused. "I wasn't really mad, I was joking. Too many witnesses here."

"Oh, of course..." he slapped his forehead.

"So, Paul-y, is that what you think too?" Dawn asked teasingly, the man crossing his arms.

"Hell no, and it doesn't matter anyway," he replied coldly, the girl giving a frown.

"You could at least try and go along with me playing with you, it's boring like this," she told him.

"That's exactly why I'm like this," he said, the blunette rolling her eyes and slipping her arm into his. The man looked at her oddly, but the blunette only gave him a warm smile that made him give up.

"You guys are acting like such idiots..." Hilbert chuckled to himself, feeling a tap on his shoulder. He glanced back.

"Well what do you have to say, then?" Hilda was wearing a black dress cutting off on an angle just above her ankles, the opening starting just barely above her knee. There was a triangle-shape missing from both sides of the dress on the side-torso area, revealing her skin along her sides just above her waist. The two straps reached over her shoulders, with her glistening brown hair flowing over them and down her back. Her cheeks turned pink as she crossed her arms and glanced away. "I hope you weren't expecting anything too flashy, like theirs."

"No, uh...I..." Hilbert uttered, the brunette looking back to him with a light jump in her chest.

"Y-yeah?"

"It, uh...looks nice?"

* * *

><p>"So what did Hilbert say anyway?" Max asked, the young boy in the black tux glancing at the man sulking with his hands against his abdomen.<p>

"Something stupid like 'you look nice', I would imagine," Misty laughed, wearing a deep blue dress.

"Well I do say it's an interesting fragrance, despite the slightly burnt aftertaste," Cilan pointed out, wearing a regular black suit with a green tie instead of his usual attire.

"Ha ha, 'burnt aftertaste'. Funny Charizard joke, Cilan," Hilbert fake-laughed, rubbing his gut. "She didn't have to hit me that hard, though."

"You had it coming."

"What?! You said the same thing to May! I shouldn't have gotten hit if you didn't!"

"Oh, suck it up, you manbaby," Hilda scoffed, smirking at the weakened man. He glared at her.

"You're a bad person," he muttered, the brunette taking a step towards him. He stumbled back, the group laughing.

"It's like everyone here is acting love-dovey with someone else, it's kinda fun," Iris laughed, standing in her purple dress.

"Yeah, it's so painful to watch...!" Brock chewed on his wristcuffs enviously, the girl giving a nervous chuckle as she patted his back.

"There there, you're next in line, I'm sure of it," she told him.

"So, I've been wondering for a while now...Where's Leaf?" Hilbert asked, Dawn, Hilda and May glancing at each other with a frown. "What? What happened?"

"She...She may not be coming."

"What?! Why not?"

"Are you serious? It's because she's upset about Ash."

"Why didn't you just tell her you were sure he would be here? You can't let her miss out on this and get herself depressed too."

"I know, but she wouldn't believe me. She kept telling me that I was only lying to make her feel better and go, I couldn't think of anything better to say."

"So she's back in the room right now? All alone, with bad thoughts in her head?"

"Well, they're not really bad thoughts-"

"Are you kidding?! Of course they're bad thoughts!" May exclaimed, surprising the others. "She's worried about Ash being depressed, and if she begins worrying too much then she'll think he's going to disappear again! What do you think she'll do if that happens?"

"She would just be heartbroken if that happened..." Dawn added, the brunette giving a nod.

"Exactly, that's why we took so long getting ready. I didn't want to leave here there like that alone, it felt like I was turning my back on her," May frowned, feeling a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, you can't solve everything yourself. Sometimes things have to sort themselves out," Brendan told her, the brunette seeing him smiling at her. She couldn't resist smiling back.

"But there was still no news on where Ash is?" Max asked, everyone shaking their head. "Do you think he will show up tonight?"

"I honestly don't know...Ash does still like parties, but maybe this loss was too much after all..." Hilbert said with a frown, running a hand through his hair.

"Well, come on guys! Everyone around us is happy, so why can't we be? We should dance!" Iris suggested excitedly, everyone looking at her curiously. Then everyone smiled.

"I guess we are being kinda gloomy, aren't we?" Brock said.

"Alright, let's dance!" Dawn piped in happily, tugging on Paul's arm who looked like a frightened chihuahua trapped on a leash.

"I think most of the pairs are decided, evidently," Misty stated, glancing around and noticing each of the pairs were standing close to each other. They all glanced at each other.

"...Well, no time like the present," Brendan smiled, turning to the brunette beside him and holding his hand out. May blushed. "One dance?" she smiled, putting her hand in his and following his lead away from the group.

"Come on, Paul, let's go too!" Dawn exclaimed, the man giving a heavy sigh.

"It's not like you'll let me go if I say no..." he muttered, the blunette beaming.

"That's the spirit!" the others chuckled nervously, praying for the man as he was dragged away by the girl.

"Hey, Cilan, are you much of a dancer?" Misty asked.

"I am a connoisseur of many things, and dance is one of the many," he replied cleverly, the redhead facing him and pointing behind her.

"Then let's not get left behind," she smiled, the pair disappearing as well.

"That was a weird pair..." Hilbert said.

"Sure was. Everyone just kinda left us in the dust," Hilda replied, Hilbert glancing at the girl. "Say...You don't really dance much, do you?"

"Are you kidding? I got the top score at the Dance Dance Revolution game in the Castelia City arcade!" the girl sighed, rubbing her forehead.

"Of course you did..." she muttered disappointingly.

"You don't dance in front of others, right?" she looked at him confused, surprised at his words. "I remember you mentioning that once or twice before. Honestly, I'm still questioning whether that's true or you're just afraid to admit that you can't dance."

"What? Of course I can dance," she puffed her cheeks in frustration, looking away. "I just don't want to blind others with my awesome dancing skills."

"Well I'm not afraid to, and I want to see if you're really telling the truth," Hilda looked back at him, surprised to see him holding his hand out to her. "So show me that you really can."

"...Idiot," she smiled, taking his hand and following him away.

"Well, Max and Iris, looks like it's just us on the sidelines," Brock said, looking at the pair. Or where they used to be.

"Sorry, Brock! You're on your own this time!" looking to where he heard the voice, he was shocked to see the boy dancing with the purple-haired girl. The man chewed on his wristcuffs again. (The following pairs are now slow-dancing)

* * *

><p>"I'm kinda surprised at you," May remarked, the man giving her an odd look as they danced, his arms around her waist and hers draped around his neck.<p>

"How so?" he asked.

"Well, I never would have thought you were much of a dancer," she chuckled, the man looking slightly offended.

"Of course I dance, don't you remember? I was always trying to dance with girls when I was a kid, especially you," he replied, the girl giving a laugh.

"Oh, yeah...Maybe that's why I started to dislike dancing," she smiled, the man rolling his eyes.

"Well that's nice to hear. Glad I could inspire you to find a new enjoyment," he said sarcastically, the brunette resting her head against his shoulder.

"I never said I don't like dancing _now_."

* * *

><p>"What's wrong, Paul?" Dawn asked, looking innocently at him in question. He looked back with his cold unamused eyes as they danced.<p>

"Seriously?" he asked.

"Yeah. You're at a fancy party, looking _very_ handsome in a suit, and dancing with a gorgeous woman who cares about you," she explained, smiling at him.

"I only heard what I _don't_ like about this situation," he responded, the blunette puffing her cheeks slightly in frustration.

"You could at least try to enjoy yourself for once. I'm nothing but nice to you and try to help you have fun, but you're always against it. If you don't do something soon, another guy might snatch me from you, you know," she said tauntingly, the man giving a smirk. "What?"

"As if I would believe that," she looked at him questioningly. "I know that there's not a single guy who could take you away."

"Oh, and how do you know that?" she asked incredulously, the man tilting his head so his lips were at her ear.

"I know you well enough to know you wouldn't leave me," he whispered, sending a shiver down the girl's spine. She glanced at him as he moved his head back with a smirk, the girl breaking into a smile as she laughed, resting her forehead against his shoulder. "Because who else could put up with your annoying crap?"

"Thanks for ruining it."

* * *

><p>"So..." Hilda trailed off, glancing to the side. Hilbert looked at her oddly.<p>

"What is it?" he asked, the brunette not meeting his gaze.

"Aren't you...kinda...embarrassed, or anything...?" she asked hesitantly.

"Not really. Are you?" he asked, the girl looked forward, but down at the man's collar.

"Yeah, obviously. I mean, we've been friends for years, and now we're doing something like this...I don't know, it's just..." she stopped, feeling a finger under her chin. Her chin was lifted, her eyes meeting his as he smiled at her.

"Why would I be embarrassed to be seen with you?" she blushed, glancing away from him. "Especially in that dress."

"W-What about it? I know it looks stupid on me, this is why I don't do formal things like dresses," she sighed, the man giving a chuckle as he shook his head.

"No. You look great in it," the brunette's cheeks flushed red, looking at the floor beside her in embarrassment. "Hey, you okay? Are you really warm in here?"

"No, it's just hard to keep cool when an idiot compliments me like it's nothing," she replied, not looking back at him. He smiled.

"Then I guess you better get used to it," she was confused at his words, feeling his arms around her waist pull her slightly closer so that she could feel their chests together. "'Cause you're getting that the whole night."

"You moron..."

* * *

><p>"Well, this sucks..." Brock sighed, taking another drink from the punch in his glass. He was standing at the refreshment tables against the side wall of the castle lobby. "Wish there was at least alcohol, but I guess there are still minors here..."<p>

"Brock? Ash's friend, right?" his attention perked at the voice, turning around. Surprised, he saw the blonde champion of Sinnoh smiling at him.

"C-Cynthia! It's been a while," he greeted, suddenly feeling nervous.

"Relax, you don't have to be nervous. This night is supposed to be fun, so I'm forgetting that I'm champion. You should, too," she told him, the man silently giving a nod. "I don't suppose you've seen Ash around, have you?"

"No. Sorry to say, but I'm not sure if he'll come tonight," he said solemly, the blonde looking confused. "Seeing Zo in such critical condition really did a number on him. None of us have seen him in a while now, and we're really worried about what's going through his mind," he explained.

"I see. Seeing my pokemon in such a state certainly would make me feel guilty, as well," she remarked, leaning against the wall. "I would assume that Leaf must be taking this badly, then."

"Yeah. The girls said that she might not show up, either, she's just too worried about Ash to relax," he said, the woman giving a frown.

"So then why are you here alone? Where are the others?" Cynthia asked, the man giving a sigh as he looked out into the crowd of dancing couples.

"They all paired up behind my back," he stated, noticing each of his friends in the crowd.

"Well, sometimes the ones who jump at an opportunity don't get the best result. They can miss something even greater, like simply talking to someone," the man glanced back at her, noticing her smiling.

"I guess that's true."

* * *

><p>"Tell me something," Brendan looked down at the brunette, listening. "Why are you so comfortable with this? All this stuff between us recently, like...that night..."<p>

"Ah. I don't know, really, it just feels...okay, with you," he replied, the girl giving him an odd look.

"Why would it feel okay with me? You don't think of me as someone like Dawn, do you?" the man chuckled, shaking his head.

"No, of course not. You're better," he rested his forehead against hers, surprising the girl as she blushed. "And it's only natural that I'm comfortable with a girl I love."

"Wait, what?" the brunette cringed. He pulled back, smiling at her. Her cheeks only got redder as he pushed strands of her hair behind her ear.

"You really never noticed? I love you, May," the girl was in complete shock. Unable to respond, she just stared at him in shock as her cheeks burned red.

"Wha...Whe...When...Why...?" he held back laughter as the girl struggled to get a sentence out, let-alone full words.

"Relax, you don't have to take it all in right now. Let it happen gradually," he chuckled, the girl only blinking in response.

"W...Why would you say that _now_?" she whispered, glancing around at the large number of people around them. He only smiled.

"I figured this is as good a time as any, and I didn't want to keep it from you for any longer," she blinked in shock.

"Longer?"

"Yeah. Do you realize how long I've felt this way?"

"Uh...Not a clue."

"I'll give you a hint," he moved his lips to her ear, his shallow breath sending a shiver down the brunette's spine. "A _very _long time."

"...Huh..." was all she could reply. After a few moments of being in a daze, she shook her head to snap out of it. She glanced around, noticing none of their friends were close enough to hear them. She sighed with relief.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just...It's kinda funny you mention this now, actually..." she focused her gaze on a tile on the floor to the side, smiling to herself. "Recently, I've been thinking about that...loving someone..."

"Oh...If my opinion's okay, Ash is a fool for denying you," he stated, the brunette looked at him oddly.

"What? Ash is?" she asked, confused.

"Yep. Why, isn't that what you were talking about? You being in love with him?" the girl blushed, shaking her head.

"No, no, that's not it. I mean, sure, I really liked him...a lot...maybe I did love him at one point, but recently, it wasn't really love," she responded, the Hoenn trainer giving quiet nods. "...I meant something else..."

"What else would you mean?" he asked, now intrigued.

"Well...Loving...someone _other_ than Ash..." she looked away shyly, the trainer looking at her curiously.

"...Can I have a hint at who this is?"

"...Well...I'll make it easy," she leaned towards his ear, smiling to herself with a blush on her face. "...He's the only guy I've shared a night with." Moments passed.

"...H-_Huh_?!"

* * *

><p>"Why did you start to dislike dresses, anyway?"<p>

"I don't know...They were too frilly, and hard to move around in. Plus guys would stare at me all the time."

"And wearing short-shorts solved that problem?"

"Well, the moving around part, yeah."

"So I guess deep down, you really want the attention from guys, huh?"

"Heck no," she scoffed, the man giving her a sly smirk. "What?"

"You're such a bad liar," he said, the girl glaring at him.

"I'm not lying. Guys who rely on stupid pickup lines and looks are just the most pathetic people," she replied, the man arching an eyebrow.

"Really, and why is that?" he inquired, the brunette looking at him seriously.

"Seriously? They're just sad. So you use a cheesy one-liner that gets a single laugh from a girl, then you expect to get along with her from then on? Especially the prettyboys who think they're all that and won't be denied, oooh I hate them..."

"So what about the guys that give honest compliments? Not just pickup lines?" he asked, the brunette looking at him curiously.

"...I suppose they have a slightly better chance. Slightly," she glanced away, her cheeks turning pink. The man smiled to himself.

"So I don't fall under the category of prettyboy or one-liners, right?"

"Oh, you do."

"What?! But I'm honest!"

"Really, then prove it."

"And how do I do that? I'll say one thing to prove the women are lucky to have me."

"_That_ right there, does not help your case."

"Whatever, just what do I have to say?"

"...Answer me one thing honestly."

"Fine, what is it?" he asked, the brunette looking back at him. Her grip around his neck tightened slightly, he noticed which made him cringe slightly, the girl looking him straight in the eye.

"...Do I look better in this dress, or in my shorts?"

"...Heh?" he was scared. Knowing Hilda, this had to be a trap in some way. Regarding the dress, any comment would lead her to thinking he only wanted to flatter her and that would piss her off. Regarding the shorts, she would think he's saying she is not girly enough or is too revealing, in turn pissing her off. It's a lose-lose situation. So, with a deep breath, he thought deep down about it.

"Well? Or are you just all talk?" she asked, not breaking eye contact with the clearly-nervous man. He took another deep breath, figuring he would lose no matter what he would do. So he went for it.

"...You look amazing in that dress, and I'm serious about that," the girl blushed, looking surprised. He glanced away, a smile forming in the corner of his lips as he scratched the side of his jawline. "...But honestly, the shorts are better. They suit you."

"...R...Really...?" she managed to squeak out, which immediately got both of their attention. They looked at each other, surprised, the brunette turning away as her face turned a deeper shade of red in embarrassment.

"That's what I think. But I'm not saying you shouldn't wear dresses, they're great too, plus you've got a lot to brag abo-" he froze, eyes widening as he thought about what he was saying. The brunette slowly looked back at him, a slight twitch in her eyebrow. "H-Hilda, wait, I didn't mean it like that. You know, I'm just saying you can hurt a guy no matter what, so they shouldn't be stupid-" he stopped at her reaction.

"Perv..." she whispered, lowering her head as she lightly dropped her fist against his chest. He blinked in surprise, wondering why she wasn't beating him senseless like she usually would. "This one time...I'll let it go."

"W...What?" he asked, not understanding the situation. Hearing her laughing to herself, he watched her raise her head, his heart beating faster and his face warming at what he saw. The brunette, not mad at all, but laughing with a smile more gentle than he had ever seen from her.

"You've earned that much."

* * *

><p>"Hey, where did everyone go?" Max asked, looking around for his friends.<p>

"I dunno, everyone kinda spread out," Iris replied, the two continuing to dance together.

"I guess you're ri-" the boy's eyes darted back, noticing something.

"What is it?" she asked, the boy looking around oddly.

"I...I thought I saw-" he stopped, shaking his head. "Never mind, must've been my imagination."

"Alright," she chuckled, the boy glancing back and giving a brief smile.

* * *

><p>She stepped out into the courtyard, giving a quiet sigh. The courtyard consisted of a rounded balcony, overlooking the garden and grassyard with two curved staircases on either side of the balcony leading down. She shivered, holding her arms closer together as the breeze picked up through the area.<p>

_"Chu,"_ the electric-type cooed, moving down from her shoulder and nuzzling himself in her arms.

"Thanks, Pikachu," she smiled, looking over the edge of the rounded balcony into the sky. The full moon shined brightly, lighting up the garden below. "It's beautiful..."

_"Pika..."_ the mouse nodded, his eyes mesmerized by the glowing orb. The girl hugged the mouse closer to her, making him look up at her curiously.

"Pikachu...Do you think he's looking, too...?" she asked, giving a weak smile to herself. Feeling something, she looked down to see the mouse smiling with his paw on her hand, nodding. "...Thanks, Pikachu...I just..." she paused, closing her eyes. "...I just wish he was here..." the mouse frowned, feeling her tear hit his cheek.

_"Kachu..."_ he cooed softly, nuzzling his cheek against her bare arm. His ear twitched, his head suddenly jolting up and looking in a random direction. _"Pikapi?"_

"What is it?" she asked, wiping a tear from her eye. The mouse jumped from her arms, walking away towards the staircase to the left. He stopped, pausing for a few moments, then turned and hurried towards the doorway leading inside. "Pikachu? Where are you going?" the mouse stopped by the doorway, turning back to her and flashing a thumbs-up with a smile, then rejoined the party. She smiled to herself, looking back out over the ledge as she leaned forward, resting her elbows on the ledge. "I guess even pokemon like to party...At least he's got his cuteness going for him..."

"Funny. I was just thinking that."

"Huh?" confused, the girl looked over at the left staircase and froze. Her heart nearly stopping, but feeling so warm at the same time, from looking at the person who was coming up the last step...Ash. Still frozen from shock, she could only watch as the man walked towards her with a smirk.

"But I was thinking that about you, Leaf," he added, snapping the girl from her trance. She puffed her cheeks slightly, pretending.

"So you're saying I've _only_ got my looks going for me?" the brunette asked, pretending to be insulted. He leaned on the balcony, looking over at her.

"You know exactly what I mean," she couldn't help but finally smiling warmly after that. "You look gorgeous."

"Thanks, Ash," her cheeks turned pink, quickly glancing down at her outfit to remind herself. She wore an emerald-green dress cutting off just above her ankles, with a few inches of frill on the bottom as well as covering the shoulders. Her brown hair shined in the moonlight as it flowed down her back, which was left bare from the absence of fabric in the dress, with a single green strap going over her left shoulder and around her neck to hold the dress in place. Needless to say, Ash was right. "You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. I-don't-need-a-tux."

"Very funny," he replied sarcastically. The trainer wore a simple black tux with a black undershirt, both sleeved and a black tie tucked underneath the overshirt. "Don't mind Pikachu leaving you, it's not a bad thing. He's just a little chick magnet at parties like this, and he knows it."

"So aren't you going to go join him and get all the ladies, hotshot?" she asked with a laugh, the trainer giving a smirk as he stood up straight.

"I guess I could," the brunette cringed, looking at him in shock. Surprised, the man wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, smiling. "But why would I...when the perfect girl is out here?"

"Oh really, Mr. Charmer? Then where is she?" she asked, leaning up slightly.

"You already know the answer to that," he replied, leaning down and closing the gap between them. The brunette's heart fluttered, never wanting this feeling to end. But after what seemed like an eternity, she was sad to feel his lips part from hers. Time passed slowly, the two staring into each others eyes as they could each hear the other's heart beating rapidly.

"I guess I still get your heart pumping, huh?" she smiled, the trainer smiling back.

"You're the reason it pumps at all," her chest felt so warm at his words. Noticing the girl cringed as the breeze picked up, the trainer slipped his overshirt off and put it around her with a smile. She moved in front of him, resting her hands on the rail and leaning back against him, the man holding her waist with one hand and sliding the other onto hers.

"So...is it too personal to share? Why you left?" she asked quietly, the man looking up at the shining moon. "It's okay if you don't want to say. I'm just glad you're here now."

"...I was afraid..." the brunette felt his grip tighten on her hand slightly, looking up at him. "...I lost this tournament. I let Zo get hurt because of me. And there was nothing I could've done to prevent it...I was just terrified of what could happen...if I let things continue as they did..."

"Ash..." the brunette turned her hand, slipping her fingers between his. "You don't have to worry about anything. It'll be fine."

"I froze up. Everyone thinks I'm such a great trainer, our friends, even you say that I won't lose, but I just..._froze_. The moment that attack turned towards me, my body just stopped listening. I thought about moving, but I couldn't. Then I realized...Zo was out there, fighting to the bitter end just because of me. And I couldn't stop her, no matter how many times I called out to her, she just refused...What kind of a trainer am I, if I can't even stop my own pokemon to protect them?" he explained, the girl's eyes softening as she squeezed his hand.

"Ash..."

"I should've been hit by that Flamethrower."

* * *

><p>"Leaf still hasn't shown up?" May asked, the others shaking their heads. After a happy time of dancing, the pairs of friends had all joined together again.<p>

"I haven't seen her, and it's really worrying me," Dawn frowned.

"Well, with Ash gone, it's not really a surprise. I don't think we'll get Leaf back unless we get Ash back first," Paul stated.

"But how do we get Ash back? We can't even find him..." Hilbert trailed off, scratching the back of his head frantically. "Gaah, why did that idiot have to disappear now of all times?!"

"Relax, I'm sure Ash will be back soon. He never disappoints us, right?" Hilda asked, her voice trying to influence optimism. Everyone glanced around at each other, eventually giving a nod.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"He does always manage to pull something off."

"He'll be back, for sure."

"That's the spirit!" Hilda exclaimed, trying to maintain a smile. But Hilbert could see right through it. Beneath that fake smile...he knew she was sadder than any of them.

"Are you guys talking about me?"

"No, Leaf, we're talking about A-" May gasped, looking over at the newcomer. To everyone's surprise, Leaf was there, smiling at them. "L-Leaf! You're here!"

"Of course I am, why wouldn't I be?" she looked at her confused.

"Oh my gosh, Leaf, that dress is amazing!" Dawn exclaimed giddily, the brunette giving a nervous laugh as she looked down at the green dress.

"Oh, hehe...Yeah, I bought it a while back and figured...Well, why waste it, right?" she asked, everyone laughing in agreement. However, Hilbert and Hilda noticed something peculiar.

"So, Leaf, why did you decide to come tonight? I thought you were heartbroken about Ash?" Max asked, the brunette rubbing her arm.

"Well...I am, honestly. But...Ash would tell me not to worry, so...this is like my gift to him. I just wish he were here, too..." she trailed off, but the blunette dropped her hand on her shoulder with a smile.

"Don't worry, Leaf, you got us girls with you! We'll have a great time!" Dawn exclaimed, the brunette breaking into a smile.

"Finally~ Thank you, Leaf," Paul sighed, then headed off towards the drink table. Brendan followed quickly.

"...So let's go dance!" May exclaimed happily, Dawn nodding happily as they each grabbed one of Leaf's arms.

"W-What?" she stuttered, looking at the two frantically.

"No buts! Let's go!" and with that, the brunette was dragged off by the overexcited pair. Hilbert and Hilda laughed.

"You noticed too, didn't you?" Hilda asked, the man giving a nod.

"No doubt about it," he replied, the two sharing a brief smile as they knew the truth.

* * *

><p>"...What...?" Leaf stared at the man, eyes wide in horror. He closed his eyes, giving a sigh. The brunette pulled her hands from his, letting them drop to her sides as they clenched into fists. She pulled away from him, turning to face him and bringing her palm back, swinging it across the trainer's face harder than she ever had before. Time passed silently in the courtyard as neither of them moved. The breeze passed through quietly. Then, Ash slowly looked back at the brunette.<p>

"...Why-" then she slapped him again. He winced, his cheek really burning now.

"Never..." her voice caught his attention, despite how quiet it was. "...Never say...that..."

"...What...?" he started as he looked back at her, then noticed tears were flowing down her cheeks.

"...Please..._Never_ say you deserve that! Never say you deserved to suffer over someone else!" she cried, letting her forehead fall against his chest. "I don't care if you lost...It doesn't matter if Zo didn't listen to you...It meant that she cared- _loved_ you enough to fight for you to the end! She was willing to get hurt for you! But just because you couldn't stop her doesn't mean you deserve to suffer for it! Everyone suffers in their life...I suffered for _years_ after being separated from you! And I could never find you, so how much do you think _I_ suffered?!" the man was speechless. The girl just continued to cry, her tears hitting the ground between them. "...Zo loves you, Ash...Like family...because you _are_ her family. You, Pikachu, all your pokemon...you're a loving family."

"Leaf..."

"...And I want to be there for you...just like Zo is...right beside you, with your family..." she slipped her left hand into his, raising them so he could see them with the back of her hand facing him. He was confused, then noticed the shining ring on her finger. He looked back at her, who was smiling at him while still crying. "...Please don't suffer, Ash...Be happy...with me."

"...Leaf..." Ash didn't know what to say. He could only watch in a loss of words as the brunette wiped the tears from her face, chuckling as she looked at him again with a smile.

"Wow...That was kinda pathetic, huh?" she stopped, feeling the man's hand on her cheek. Looking into his eyes, she gasped quietly as she saw something she had never seen before. Tears were forming in Ash's eyes.

"Yeah...Pathetic...Now you got me going, dummy..." he chuckled weakly, the girl breaking into a smile as she took his head in her hands, pulling it down and holding it against her chest. Ash cringed, glancing at the softness he was feeling then up at Leaf.

"Listen..." he calmed his mind down, listening to the peace and quiet of the courtyard. Then the regular heartbeat of Leaf. "I'm calm when I'm around you. My heart may beat faster at first, but it only takes a few minutes for me to be completely calm with you...and it's obvious why. You're special, Ash..."

"Leaf-" he pulled away from her, looking her in the eye again but she put her finger against his lips to stop him.

"Despite how long it was since we saw each other again...Despite the jokes our friends make...Despite the other girls going for you, despite how you may feel about them, and despite what happened at the lake...None of that matters when it comes to one fact, that will always stay true no matter what," she pressed her lips against his, moving her hands to the back of his head and pulling him closer before parting quickly. "...I love you, Ash Ketchum."

"...It had been years since we've seen each other...But during that time, I still thought about you. And I don't care what my friends say, or about how many girls have thrown themselves at me as I traveled the world. The world can throw millions of women at me and I'll still say no, because I've already made up my mind, ever since I was a kid in Pallet Town. Forget the title of champion, forget the fame, the glory, the money, and the women...because I already have the one thing I need. I need _you_, Leaf...I love you."

"...I'm glad..." another tear rolled down her cheek as she hugged the man tightly. But this was a tear of joy. "Not about the girls throwing themselves at you...but you get it..." she laughed weakly, trying to stop crying before she started laughing to no avail.

"We're in this together...I'll never give them a second glance," he chuckled, giving the brunette a hug.

"So you're saying you'll give them a _first_ glance?"

"Oh, crap..." he felt her fist hit his chest, wincing as she pulled away from him and crossed her arms, glaring at him. He chuckled, rubbing his chest. "Leaf, you know-"

"Not another word from you," she said sharply, turning her head from him. The man shaking his head with a smile.

"But you know you're gonna stay with me," the brunette glanced at him, seeing his smile. "Or have you forgotten about what happened at the lake?"

"I have _not_ forgotten. And unfortunately, I know you haven't either and probably never will," she stepped towards him, grabbing his tie and pulling it lightly, jerking his head down on level with hers. She smiled slyly at him, giving him a wink. "That just means you sealed your fate that day."

"In an amazing moment, I guess an amazing fate really did choose me," he smiled back, the girl letting go of him.

"Yeah, amazing for _you_. I was embarrassed beyond belief," the brunette sighed, giving a shake of her head. The trainer smirked, Leaf taking notice. "What's that smirk about?"

"Don't worry about it, you won't like it anyway," he told her, the brunette looking at him cautiously.

"Why...?"

"Because."

"Because _why_?"

"Just because."

"Just say why already!"

"Fine," he wrapped his arms around her waist and swiftly pulled her against him, the girl giving a light blush. "I was thinking...You may be exaggerating on how bad it was-"

"It is _not_ happening again, if that's what you're asking for," she glared at him slightly, the man giving a light chuckle as he looked away with a shrug of his shoulders.

"That's not exactly what I was thinking, but now that you mention it..." the man glanced over at her as he felt her punch his arm.

"Perv," she muttered, leaning her head against his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her.

"...Now I'm not asking...let's say _hypothetically_..." Leaf rolled her eyes, knowing where this was going. "That I was asking that question..."

"No," she replied quickly, the man smiling with a sigh. Then the girl had an idea. "But..."

"But?" he inquired, the brunette smiling to herself as walked right into it.

"I'll tell you one way it could happen," she said, the man noticing her enticing tone.

"Really, and what would that be?" he asked, the brunette smiling as she slowly moved her face up towards his, then moving to his ear.

"...In your dreams."

"Ha ha," he said sarcastically in a monotone voice, the brunette laughing to herself satisfyingly. Then he suddenly dropped his arms around her waist, pulling her backside flat against him and hovering his lips over her neck, his breath making her shudder.

"W...What?" she asked, the man smirking to himself.

"If I'm dreaming with you beside me, then that'll be fine."

"Funny, but I'm kicking you out if your hands move on their own."

"I'll keep it under control. _Try _to, at least," he replied, the brunette rolling her eyes as she turned her body in his arms to face him. She poked his chest.

"I guess when that time comes, I'll have to keep a close eye on you, won't I?"

"Not necessarily, depends on what's going on."

"I've got new swimsuits to model in."

"...You're just setting me up."

"Maybe, or maybe I'm serious. I _do_ have new swimsuits," she winked, the man rolling his eyes.

"Tell you what...How about a gift for a gift?" he asked, the girl looking intrigued.

"So if I _do_ model for you, then what exactly would I get in return...?" she trailed off, looking at him expectantly.

"I don't know...you tell me," he replied, the girl drawing a finger up his chest.

"Well then...how about..." her face hovered close to his, so close that the tips of their noses grazed each other. "...Tomorrow."

"What about tomorrow?"

"I want it to happen tomorrow."

"Want what to happen?"

"You know," he looked at her curiously, the girl giving a you-know-what look back to him. It took a few moments for him to realize what she meant.

"_Tomorrow?_"

"Yep."

"...Really? Why...Why so soon?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no, just..." he pondered for a moment, not knowing how to put it. But Leaf continued to look at him expectantly. "...Well...I don't know, I just can't explain it."

"Well, why not?" she asked, pulling away from him and leaning on the rail beside him. "It's not like it's a problem, is it?"

"Well, no..."

"So let's do it," she said, flashing him a smile. He put his hands on the rail, bending his back and staring at the floor for a few moments. Then, he straightened up, and put his hand on hers.

"...Why not, right?" Leaf looked at him, surprised. The man smiled, the brunette suddenly getting very excited and tackling him in a hug. He hugged her back, the girl never seeming to let go until she finally pulled back to look at him.

"It's a date, then," she told him, giving a wink.

"The best date of my life," he responded, the brunette laughing before pressing her lips to his. They wrapped their arms around each other, feeling as close as they ever had before. But all good things come to an end.

"So _this_ is where you've been," the kiss was interrupted, as the pair looked towards the doorway with slight irritation. There stood Hilbert, Hilda, Paul and Brendan, each smirking as they saw what they had interrupted. "Nice going, Ash."

"Can it, Hilbert," he replied, the man shrugging his shoulders as he crossed his arms behind his head.

"We should leave them in peace, who knows what was about to happen before we came along," Brendan chuckled.

"H-How long have you guys been there...?" Leaf asked, sounding slightly irritated as she tried to control her blushing.

"Long enough, Leaf," Hilda smiled slyly, flashing a wink. Leaf blushed more.

"And I suppose each of you haven't been doing the same thing all night?" Ash asked, defending the brunette. The others glanced at each other, some nervous and some happy.

"I'm sure Paul's been-"

"Hell no."

"Oh, come on, _seriously_?"

"I said no."

"Sometimes I question if you're even-" Hilbert stopped, feeling Paul's glare nearly hurting him.

"What about you two, then?" Paul responded.

"Of course not, why the heck would we be doing that?" she asked, everyone giving an expectant look. Her and Hilbert looked around, confused. "What? Well how about Brendan and May, then?"

"We haven't been getting busy like Ash and Leaf have," Brendan chuckled, earning a glare from the respective pair. "I'm just happy enough with what really happened."

"Ooooohh~ Someone got lucky!" Hilbert held his hand up for a high-five, earning a smack from the brunette beside him.

"Alright, we get it, you all made your own respective acts of love. This is getting too touchy-feely for me," Ash shuddered, the brunette beside him arching an eyebrow at him.

"Really?" she inquired, the man shrugging his shoulders. "Well maybe I should've left, then."

"You did, remember?" she looked oddly at Brendan. "You were inside a little while ago, May and Dawn dragged you off to dance."

"What? I haven't been inside this whole time," Leaf replied, the man giving a confused look.

"Sure you were, I just saw-"

"Hey, what are you guys doing out here?" everyone looked in the doorway to see the two respective girls walking out towards them. With Leaf.

"...you...?" Brendan finished his sentence, now sounding more like a question than a statement. Everyone stopped, looking back and forth between the Leaf standing with Ash, and the Leaf who came from the party.

"Wha...Why are there two Leafs?" Dawn asked, looking confused.

"Oh, uh...Hey," the second Leaf said, giving a nervous wave.

"Hey..." the first Leaf said cautiously, looking at her copy carefully.

"Think we should tell them?" Hilda asked, Hilbert shaking his head.

"We should all have figured it out by now," Ash gave a sigh, moving towards the second Leaf.

"No, don't ruin this," she backed away from him, Ash giving a smirk.

"Wait, what is happening? Who is this second Leaf?" May asked, Ash, Hilda and Hilbert looking at each other.

"Like I said, we shouldn't tell them. It's funnier this way," he said, giving a smile.

"Oh, I know now," Leaf announced, moving towards Ash and her copy. "Very funny, Zo."

"So much for keeping it fun..." Hilda laughed. The others looked at the second Leaf in surprise.

"_Zo_?"

"She's a zorua, remember? Zoruas can take the shape of anyone they know?" Ash asked, the dots starting to connect in their minds. Zo sighed.

"Well now it's not fun anymore. I could've fooled them all night," she smirked, snickering to herself.

"Uh huh. Too bad you forgot the most important detail," Leaf told her, showing the back of her hand and pointing to the shining ring on her finger. Zo glanced down, noticing she hadn't acknowledged that detail.

"Ah...My bad," she laughed nervously, Ash pulling her ear. "Ow!"

"Change back," he said, the pokemon grumbling to herself before reverting to her natural form. The small fox scratched behind her ear.

"That hurt, you know. I'm still recovering from that battle earlier," she told him, the trainer wincing.

"Thanks for bringing that up. _Why_ are you even here? You should be recovering in a _bed_-"

"Oh, give it a rest. I'm okay to be moving around, so I'm not missing this night of fun with you guys," she replied, the trainer giving her a curious look. "Besides, I needed to make sure our talk helped you two make up again."

"What talk?" Leaf asked, looking at Ash. He closed his eyes, giving a quiet sigh.

"...When I left, I was thinking things over in my mind...Zo came and found me," he told them, the others looking at her surprised.

"You _did _know where he was?" Leaf asked her, the pokemon shaking her head in defense.

"No, I only figured it out at the end," she replied.

"So what did you talk about?" Hilda asked, the man shaking his head.

"You don't need to know."

"Aww, he's just embarrassed."

"Quiet, Zo.

"Alright, alright..."

* * *

><p><em><span>Flashback<span>_

_"Ash...she's going to think it's _her_."_

_Ash remained silent. Zo stared at him with a frown, knowing there were more things on his mind than he could handle at the moment. She was unsure of what to do, whether or not to stay quiet and allow him to think. But at the same time, maybe talking and closure was what he really needed._

_"Ash, look. I know you love Leaf, that's beyond obvious. And it's not like I'm against it or anything, I'm all for you guys. She's a good girl, I just don't want to see her get hurt. And I know you may not realize-"_

_"I do realize it," she stopped, giving him a confused look at his interruption. "I know I'm hurting her...But if I go back, how can I look at her anymore? After this, I don't know what she's thinking anymore. I don't even know what _I'm_ thinking anymore, how am I supposed to just move past this?"_

_"...You're such an idiot," she sighed, moving her chair around the table and stopping beside him. She put her hand on his, giving a light squeeze. "First of all, nothing's changed. Leaf doesn't think any differently of you, nor does anyone else, and neither should _you_. Second, it may be painful to go back, but you know it's the right thing to do. Think about your friends."_

_"What are you getting at?"_

_"You left for _five years_, Ash. Think about how devastated they were from that," Ash closed his eyes, lowering his head again as he pondered. "It crushed them when you left. And now you think that's your better option to do to your girlfriend? No off- Actually, I mean full offense, that's a terrible idea. I mean it, that is just awful. So do you want to put Leaf through that same pain?"_

_"...No..."_

_"Then man up and go face her. She wants you, Ash, no champion title, no respectable master, just _you_. She loves Ash Ketchum, and I know he loves her too," she flashed a smile, the man running his hand down over his face. He opened one eye, staring at the table in front of him, then glancing up at her. She nodded encouragingly. He breathed in heavily._

_"...Yeah, I am an idiot," she laughed quietly at his words, noticing his lips starting to curl into a smile. "But for some reason, that's the Ash she fell in love with. And I'm damn glad for that."_

_"Exactly, so go give her what she deserves," she told him, the man shaking his head briefly._

_"One thing first," she gave him a puzzled look, then was surprised at what he did next. With an arm around her shoulder, he pulled her against his shoulder._

_"W-W-Wha-"_

_"This is payback for the namecalling," he stated, the girl blushing as she glanced up at him in question. "Yeah, I'm a real idiot. But now you're here beside me, always trying to help. I'm grateful for you thinking of me as your friend, even the little annoying things about you. So thanks."_

_"There was a little insult added in there, but I guess I'll take it," she said sarcastically, smiling to herself as she closed her eyes. "But you got one thing wrong."_

_"What's that?"_

_"You're my family. And this payback isn't that bad."_

* * *

><p>"So, everything's all patched up with a pretty little bow?" Dawn asked, Leaf giving a nod. "That's great, I would've been devastated if you two didn't make up."<p>

"Yeah, me too," May added, the group reaching the drink table.

"Uh huh. Did we have to come back in here? I feel so out of place..." Ash said, glancing around the party. The brunette beside him smiled, snaking her arm through his.

"Relax, you'll stand out no matter what," she told him, the man giving a sigh as it didn't help him. She leaned closer to him with a whisper. "But that's because you're so much better-looking."

"...No, no, that's you by a longshot," she blushed, giggling as she tightened her grip on his arm as he smiled at her.

"Say, shouldn't Alder's speech start soon?" Brendan asked, Hilbert and Hilda giving a nod. Ash gave them an odd look. "Alder has a commemorative speech sometime tonight, it's supposed to be noon."

"You know, thanks for the support, respects to the family, that kinda stuff," Hilbert added, the Pallet trainer giving a nod. (Words in **bold **are spoken into the microphone.)

**"All right, are we all enjoying ourselves tonight?"**

"There he goes," Hilda stated, everyone looking to the front of the lobby to see the man on the mini-stage with a wireless microphone in his hand.

**"Okay, I want to thank you all for coming out here tonight. I know it's been a long few weeks, but with the tournament finally at its end, it allows you all to return to your family and friends back home,"** he moved off the stage, moving into the crowd and looking around. **"For some of you, that's a cherished gift. Others, it means sleeping on the floor while the girl takes the bed. I'm talking to you, Hilbert,"** everyone in the lobby laughed, including the friends in the group by the punchbowl.

"Hey!" Hilbert shouted, the champion looking over in the direction of his voice and starting to move towards it.

**"But of course, I'm just joking. Now, I want to sincerely thank all the trainers who participated in this tournament, because without them, this wouldn't have been such a rousing success,"** he explained, nearing Ash's group. **"However, there's one trainer I want to thank in particular."**

"My bet's on Red or Tobias," Brendan whispered, May giving him a nudge.

**"You all know this trainer. He may have come into the tournament under an alias, but he is certainly no **_**shadow**_** anymore,"** Alder stated, Ash giving a suspicious look.

"Wait..."

**"And that trainer is none other than Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town, so please have a round of applause for this exceptional young gentleman!"** the crowd clapped and cheered for the man as he saw Alder standing in front of him, smiling.

"...Eh?" was all Ash responded with.

**"As Unova champion, I am obligated to partake in this tournament as a contender for the final match for the title of champion. That being said, I'll admit I do get a few yawns at the start of the tournament for the lack of...excitement,"** he said, the trainer unable to resist smirking. **"However, after seeing your matches, I was finally able to see that excitement I had been longing for. Your love for your pokemon, and their commitment to battling with you, it had really gotten to me."**

"Well I'm honored you think that," Ash replied, the man giving another smile.

**"And when our match had come to its...unfulfilling end, I was fairly disappointed. Despite what anyone says, I **_**personally**_** believe that our battle has not yet ended,"** he spoke, moving the mic away from his mouth and leaning closer to the trainer. "I know Volcarona had not meant to do that, and I hope you realize that as well. I apologize for the inconvenience, to both you and your pokemon."

"No hard feelings, Alder, I'd just be glad to get back in the ring with that guy and fight him again!" Zo climbed up Ash's side and perched on his shoulder, snickering. Alder smiled and raised the mic again.

**"And so, I began searching through the guidelines for global championship title matches, and I believe I found something that may pique your interest,"** Ash looked at him curiously.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

**"The guidelines state that any match will be ended by the referee's judgement, given a statement of inability to battle or disqualification. However,"** Alder paused, Ash and Zo glancing at each other. **"There is also a rule that states if **_**both**_** trainers believe the judgement to have been inaccurate, it will be classified as a miscase and the match's result will be reversed,"** gasps were heard throughout the crowd, small groups beginning to murmur. **"Therefore, the loser will then become the winner."**

"...Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ash asked, dumbfounded. The man gave a nod.

**"I believe the match's judgement was inaccurate. What says you, Ash?"** Alder asked, the crowd going dead-silent awaiting his response. Ash felt suddenly on the spot, hearing his own heartbeat in the silence as he was frozen. He didn't know how to react.

"Say yes, Ash!" Leaf whispered, tightening her grip on his arm. The trainer glanced at her, then at Zo who was smiling and nodding, then looked at the ground. He looked back at Alder with a smile, noticing the man holding the mic in front of him. But when Ash shook his head, Alder yanked it back quickly before he spoke.

"No," Ash said, Alder giving a sigh of relief as his voice didn't go over the speaker. He leaned towards the man.

"What are you saying?" he asked incredulously.

"Yeah, Ash, what are you thinking?! He's offering you the position of champion!" Hilda whispered harshly, the trainer shaking his head.

"And I'm refusing it. I don't want to be champion," he told them, his friends looking at him as if he were growing a tail and cat ears. Alder gave a discreet look to Leaf, who gave back the same look.

**"I'm sorry, Ash, I believe the crowd wanted to hear that as well,"** Alder said into the mic, the trainer looking at him oddly. But Ash felt a tug on his arm, looking over to see Leaf looking him directly in the eye with a serious look.

"Do you love me, Ash?" she asked, the trainer giving her an odd look. He didn't notice Alder quickly moving the mic in front of him.

**"...Of course I do, wha-"**

**"And there you have it, folks!"** the lobby erupted into applause and cheers again as Alder's voice came over the mic. Ash looked back at the man, then his eyes widened as he noticed. Alder and Leaf tricked him. **"And with both of our consents of the match being judged inaccurately, the championship match of this Arc Tournament will now be declared defective! And with that statement being made, the new results declare that **_**I**_** have lost! Therefore, the winner of the match, the Arc Tournament, **_**and**_** the title of world champion...!"**

"Wait, hold o-"

**"ASH KETCHUM OF PALLET TOWN!"**

The cheering could not have been any louder than that moment. Ash winced as the entire lobby roared in applause at the man's statement, Ash looking around confused as he had been tricked into becoming a _champion_. How does that even happen?

"Way to go, Ash!" he looked at his friends, who were all smiling and clapping encouragingly. Even Paul, which was kinda scary.

"Come on, kid!" Alder grabbed the man's arm and pulled him through the crowd, Ash feeling Leaf let go. He looked back and saw her clapping with the brightest smile of all, the trainer giving a sigh of defeat. She tricked him. He admitted it. And it didn't take long before he reached the stage, and was now standing up in front of everyone with Alder's mic in hand, the man standing off to the side. Ash blinked.

**"Uh...Ahem,"** Ash cleared his throat, feeling extremely nervous as a few laughs were heard through the crowd. Then he noticed someone familiar pushing through the front row and waving to him supportingly, with a familiar pokemon on her shoulder. Leaf and Zo. He smiled. **"...Well, I'm just as shocked and confused as the rest of you."**

"That guy..." Hilda facepalmed, the crowd erupting into laughter. Hilbert chuckled, arms crossed behind his head.

"Yeah, there's no one quite like him," Hilbert added.

**"First of all, I'd like to say I got tricked into this. I won't say how, but just so you all know,"** Ash stated, the crowd laughing again.**"But, at the same time...I'm really being hit by a lot of mixed feelings here. I'm proud of all my pokemon, beyond what you can imagine both for fighting alongside me as well as putting up with me. I'm also thankful for my friends and family, who were always supportive no matter how rough or bad it looked for me. And I want to thank Alder for this, I had no idea he was planning this, but...I can't thank you enough for this privilege now."**

"You deserve it, Ash. Far more than me," he heard the man say, the trainer giving a nod.

**"There's also something I want to clear up here today,"** Ash stepped across the stage as he spoke, staring at his feet. **"When I turned ten years old, and ran to Professor Oak's lab in Pallet Town, I had no dream in my mind bigger than becoming a pokemon master. That's a given. But finding out the three starter pokemon were already taken, I was heartbroken. And that's when I was introduced to another pokemon, the one who would not listen to me and be a thorn in my side...later to become my best buddy I could ever have. Pikachu."**

_"Pi?"_ the mouse's ears perked, stopping from eating his piece of cake under the dessert table.

**"Without my little buddy, my journeys across the world would have been boring. And half of the battles I've ever taken part in, I would never have had a chance without him. I'm not sure if he's still here tonight, he's a real dessert-lover so he might still be by the dessert stand, but regardless, I just want to say thank you, Pikachu."**

_"Pikapi!"_ the mouse burst out from under the table, hurrying to the stage and hopping on, climbing up Ash's side. _"Kachu!"_ the mouse nuzzled his cheek against Ash's, the man unable to supress a smile as the crowd aww'd.

**"Next, I want to thank another best friend of mine."**

"Oh, I better get up there," Hilbert chuckled, starting to move.

**"She's been there for me, trying to help with every problem, no matter how bad."**

"What?!" Hilbert exclaimed.

"Haha, sucker," Hilda punched his arm lightly with a snicker.

**"Without her, I probably wouldn't even be here tonight. I was in pretty rough shape, with a few things on my mind, and...She was there, trying to help me. We met a long time ago, but it was only a few years ago she decided to travel with me as a member of the family. And after such a short time, I alreay can't imagine a day without her. She can be really nice and helpful...sometimes, but most of the times she just nags and whines."**

"Hey! I take offense to that!" Zo called out, hopping onto the stage and climbing his other side, taking the trainer's shoulder opposite of Pikachu. Ash smiled.

**"But despite her annoying behavior, she's still an irreplaceable friend to me. **_**And**_** family. Thank you, Zo."**

"Aww, you didn't have to say all that..." Zo acted cute and innocent, lightly tapping the man's cheek in which the crowd aww'd again. Ash and Pikachu were the only ones to recognize she was faking.

**"Lastly, and a good number of you may not even know about things between us, but I can't have this speech without mentioning her. Really, there's no words I can use to describe exactly how much she's helped me because no words in existence are strong enough. But I still want everyone to recognize her for what she's done, because without her encouragement and being a reason for my determination, I never would have made it **_**close**_** to the end of this tournament. So come on up, Leaf."**

"...W-What?!" Leaf exclaimed, taking a few moments before registering his words. The lobby erupted into applause as the girl glanced back nervously, unsure of what to do.

"Go on!" she felt a gentle push to her back, looking back and seeing all of her friends had joined her, smiling with Hilda pulling her arm back. "What are you waiting for? Don't keep him waiting, unless you want me to go in your place," Hilda said, giving a wink. Leaf smiled, then hurried around the side and up the stairs. She suddenly felt nervous, taking deep breaths as she moved towards Ash.

**"This girl...put simply, **_**is**_** the world to me,"** the crowd aww'd at Ash's comment, Leaf blushing as he took her hand. **"Without her, I wouldn't be half the man I am today. We may have been competitors in this tournament and I'm honestly thankful we didn't have to face off against each other, because I may not have had the heart to fight against her,"** Leaf glared at him, nudging her elbow into his gut. Everyone laughed. **"But nonetheless, she never ceases to amaze me. So what if she lost a match? I've lost more than I can count,"** he chuckled, the brunette laughing as well. **"But I came back from them. And so did she. We never let our losses bother us, because we knew there would always be another fight in the future that would give us a run for our money again."**

"He's getting pretty deep about this..." Brendan muttered, May nudging him.

"Quiet, he might mention one of us," she told him.

"Yeah, right. He's talking about Leaf, I wouldn't be surprised if he never stops talking," Brendan rolled his eyes, the brunette unable to resist laughing in agreement.

**"I mentioned earlier that you may not know the truth about us, so I'll clear that up as well. Leaf is...an extraordinary girl, who can't be replaced by anyone else in the world. Can be slightly irritating- But she's glaring at me now, so I'll get back on point,"** Leaf laughed, the man giving a smile as the two pokemon knew where this was going, hopping off his shoulders and standing beside him. He wrapped an arm around her waist. **"I love this girl."**

"Oh, _snap_," Hilbert choked on a laugh, the crowd gasping at his statement. Leaf smiled at him with an expectant look, taking the mic and moving it closer to her.

**"And I love him,"** she said, the crowd aww'ing again as the pair smiled at each other before Leaf pressed her lips against his softly. His other arm snaked around her waist as the crowd burst into cheering as the kiss between the couple continued. When the two parted, they simply stared into each other's eyes.** "And nothing will ever change that."**

**"No battle or title of champion,"** Ash added, a few members of the crowd calling out for another kiss and others laughing.

**"But don't worry, we won't let him forget about us either!"** Zo snickered into the mic as the fox perched on his shoulder again, Pikachu taking a spot on Leaf's shoulder. Ash sighed, giving another smile before another thought came to mind.

**"There's actually another part to my story from earlier that I want to clear up,"** he said, earning everyone's attention once more. **"I know I got a little off-track with my thanks, and I'm sorry for that, but this is the last thing I want to say. When I left Pallet Town, I dreamed of becoming a pokemon master. And as time went by while I traveled, I slowly started to realize something. I realized that I didn't want to become a master for the glory, the money, the fame, or anything like that,"** Ash looked at Pikachu, then at Zo who smiled back at him. **"...I just wanted to be recognized for loving my pokemon."**

"Huh?" Zo tilted her head, confused.

**"I never told you guys this because I never planned on using this in a speech before. But I never really wanted the fame or public glory of being champion. I just wanted a crowd to recognize me as a trainer who cared for, loved and trained their pokemon night and day. To show that I was willing to put in the blood, sweat and tears to show that I didn't think of pokemon as tools or anything bad like that, I just wanted to show that I loved you guys,"** Ash put his hands on Pikachu and Zo's heads, rubbing them. **"Because I love you guys more than you can imagine."**

"Except if I imagined Leaf," Zo snickered quietly, the trainer rolling his eyes briefly.

**"So on that point, Alder, I refused your offer because I didn't want the fame or glory that you have,"** Ash said to the man, confused murmurs spreading through the crowd. **"I just wanted people to know that I love my pokemon."**

"...And that's a respectable wish," the man laughed, moving towards him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "But there's nothing wrong with a _little_ fame."

"I guess..." Ash trailed off, the man's grip on his shoulder tightening. Ash winced as Alder took the mic back.

**"Let's give it up for Ash once again! Today, we recognize Ash as not only the champion, but as a trainer who loves his pokemon!"** Ash couldn't help but smile, the crowd erupting into applause. **"And with that, let the real afterparty begin!"**

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you almost refused him," Brendan shook his head, taking another drink.<p>

"I _did_," Ash replied.

"Yeah, and that we actually had to trick you into accepting. That's bad, dude," Brendan added, the Pallet trainer rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. There's just no need to make a spectacle out of it, that's all," he said, Hilbert giving him an odd look.

"Really? After that touchy-feely speech show you put on up there?" he asked, Ash giving him a glare.

"Shut it, Hilbert."

"Why should I? You're contradicting yourself."

"You may as well give up, man."

"What?! Since when were you on his side?!"

"Never, I just know he's ignorant beyond convincing."

"I appreciate it, Paul."

"Yeah, yeah..."

"What are you idiots arguing about now?" Hilda asked, her and the rest of the girls rejoining the group again. "I swear, you were fighting when we left..."

"Yeah, because he wouldn't say sorry for not thanking me in his speech!" Hilbert exclaimed, everyone facepalming.

"Oh, give it a rest," Hilda sighed, the man grumbling to himself as he continued drinking.

"Maybe some things are so important that he didn't have words for," May suggested, the man giving her a curious look.

"...I guess you're right. That makes more sense," Hilbert nodded.

"Then why did I mention Leaf, Zo and Pi?"Ash asked, arching an eyebrow. Moments passed before Hilbert scratched his head frustratingly with a groan, everyone laughing at him.

"Relax, jeez," Hilda patted his shoulder, the man calming down and looking at her curiously. She noticed. "What?"

"...Nothing," he looked away, now the brunette was looking at him curiously.

"So what are your plans now, Mr. Pokemon Master? Gonna start another journey across the world?" Dawn asked, keeping a firm grip on the hesitant-Paul's arm.

"Yeah, what are you thinking? If you're going on a journey, don't you dare go without us," May said sternly, the trainer giving a nod.

"Oh, I know not to leave you guys behind. I've already felt that aftermath," everyone laughed except for Ash, who only reminisced about the pain in his cheeks from that memory. "...Honestly, I don't know. I might go through Kanto again, for old time's sake, but I'm really not sure."

"Well, wherever you're going, you know I'll be there too," Leaf said, tightening her grip on his arm with a smile. He smiled back.

"Then maybe I'll just head back home. Get another bed ready," he said, the brunette leaning her head up towards his and brushing her nose against his.

"Or make _yours_ bigger," she said with a sly smile, pecking the trainer's lips.

"Alright, no need to announce your plans together, we get the picture," Hilbert waved his arms, the pair glaring at him. "And I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that is just _disturbing_."

"Oh, shut up," Paul sighed.

"Well, whatever you've got planned, it's not like you can go too far without all of us," Brendan added, referring to the couple, himself and May, Dawn and Paul, and Hilda and Hilbert.

"What are you talking about?" May asked, looking at him curiously. Leaf and Ash looked at each other, flashing a smile with a nod.

"...There's something we've been meaning to tell you."

"Brendan, Hilbert and Paul already know because _someone_ has a big mouth with his friends."

"Oh, very funny."

"What are you two talking about?" Hilda asked, looking at them curiously. The couple, hand-in-hand, glanced at each other with smiles.

...

... ...

... ... ...

_**"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"**_

* * *

><p><span><em>The Next Day...<em>

* * *

><p>"I still can't believe you didn't tell us..." May muttered, glaring at Brendan.<p>

"And that it was _today_, nonetheless..." Hilda glared at Hilbert, the man rolling his eyes. Hilbert, Paul, Brendan, Brock, Max and Cilan were each standing in tuxedos in a line. Hilda, Dawn, May, Misty and Iris each stood across from the men respectively in blue dresses.

"You young couples and your fighting are so amusing," Alder laughed, the man standing between the two groups.

"Just out of curiosity, why exactly did you agree to this again?" Dawn asked curiously.

"Well, Ash is a great man and I just couldn't refuse. Also I've owed so many favors to Hilda and Hilbert over the years, so I thought I should start repaying them," he laughed.

"I think this will be enough to cover the past, Alder," Hilbert smirked, glancing at the fifth man, also in a tux who remained silent this whole time.

"I really can't thank you enough for this," Ash said, the Unova champion clapping his shoulder.

"It's the least I could do for you, kid!" Ash winced with a smile as he continued clapping his shoulder.

"That's a nice way of showing it," Zo snickered, Pikachu laughing in agreement, the pair standing by Ash's side. Suddenly a familiar tone began playing.

"Oh, here we go~" Dawn squealed, trying to contain her excitement as she began bouncing on the spot uncontrollably.

"Thank you, Ash. Now I have to deal with this afterwards..." Paul sighed heavily, the trainer smirking.

"You would have regardless as soon as she found out, you said that yourself," he said, the Sinnoh trainer looking away in defeat. Ash shook his head with a chuckle, before his eyes were drawn straight ahead. Everyone else's eyes were attracted as well, gasping at the sight.

Leaf, stepping towards them slowly in rhythm, almost _glowed_ in the simple yet elegant white dress. She smiled beneath the thin veil as she saw her friends standing in front of her. She stopped beside Ash, slipping her arm through his as he lifted the veil. He was at a loss for words.

"...You're beautiful," he said, the brunette trying not to blush as the pair turned towards Alder.

"Your friends have gathered here to commemorate you, Ash, and you, Leaf, as you are to be joined in holy matrimony," Alder started, Ash's eyebrow twitching as another voice spoke.

"And _family_!" Zo added, the trainer glancing down at her with a glare. She winked, the trainer breaking into a smile.

"Your friends _and_ family have each recognized you as individuals, but they have also accepted you two as two pieces fitted together. One incomplete without the other, and you will be forever joined from this day onward."

"Wouldn't want it any other way," Ash whispered, Leaf's heart beating faster as she glanced at him with a smile.

"Would you care to share any last words to each other in your final moments of the single life?" Alder chuckled, the men unable to resist laughing to themselves.

"I think I've said enough in the past few weeks to get on all of your nerves," Ash chuckled, trying to contain his laughter.

"You got that right," Hilbert laughed, feeling a small object collide with his head. He winced, rubbing it and glaring at Hilda, who was glancing away with an extremely-innocent expression.

"Very well. If we would now present the rings," Ash felt Pikachu climb up his leg, perching on his shoulder and holding out his paws with a familiar ring in each. Ash smiled, accepting the rings as Pikachu returned to his spot on the ground beside him. Ash took Leaf's hand.

"Back where it belongs," he said, returning the ring to where it had once been on Leaf's finger.

"And where its partner belongs as well," Leaf added, smiling as she put his ring on his finger, the pair holding each other's hands afterwards.

"Now without further ado, by the holy power vested in me, and by the power of the almighty Arceus, I am happy to and _privileged_ to personally name you...husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," Alder smiled, the couple turning to face one another.

"Yeah! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Ki-Ow!" Hilbert exclaimed, everyone laughing as he rubbed his forehead again from something hitting him, Hilda once again glancing away innocently. Ash and Leaf laughed, looking into each other's eyes, then kissed. The small group clapped, Hilbert giving whistles until Paul elbowed him in the gut, in which he lowered himself to the floor and the others couldn't help but laugh and break the traditional formation.

"Don't worry, Hilbert, there's always other chances," Alder clapped his back, the man wincing from the hits. The group continued laughing and talking around the kissing couple, who seemed to not even acknowledge they were there. When they parted, they simply stared into each other's eyes.

"So, what's the plan now, Mrs. Ketchum?" Ash asked, Leaf blushing at his words.

"Well...We could always get to that modeling session I promised you," she winked, the man arching an eyebrow as his arms moved around her waist and pulled her closer. "Then afterwards, maybe we could get to a little something..._else_?"

"Then what are we waiting for?" he pressed his lips against hers again, the pair feeling eternal bliss in their hearts. That is, until they separated from being unable to contain their laughter at what they heard.

"AAAHH! Zo, do _not_ turn into Charizard! That's terrifying!"

* * *

><p><span><em>Five Years Later...<em>

* * *

><p>He stood on the shore, the small waves gently lapping up the sand as he stared out at the glowing orb setting along the horizon. Running a hand through his hair, he looked up at the sky with a smirk. "Guess that's another day off the list..."<p>

"Not today, Ash?" the man looked back, seeing a familiar girl and yellow mouse running towards him.

"No, not today, Zo," he replied, looking back at the sky. The girl smiled, crossing her arms on his shoulder and resting her chin on him.

"So, you gonna do the same thing tomorrow afternoon?" she asked, the man giving a nod. "...No offense, but why do you keep doing this?"

"Because I know it's gonna happen. I want to be ready when it does," he responded, the girl rolling her eyes.

"Of course," she said sarcastically, the mouse laughing in agreement.

"Heey! Ash!" the man turned around, seeing another girl running towards him. He smiled, the girl stopping beside him with a light hit to the opposite arm. "What are you doing out here?"

"Watching the sunset, Leaf," he said, the brunette looking out over the shining water. She slipped her hand into his.

"So you're really keeping this up every day? I'm surprised you haven't given up yet," she told him, the man giving a light sigh.

"See? I said the same thing but he just won't listen. Too stubborn, this man is!" Zo exclaimed with a smile, the man glancing a glare at her. Leaf laughed, resting her head against his shoulder.

"But it _is_ gorgeous...I can see why you stayed on this island for so long," Leaf said, the man smiling.

"And now it's like our own little family vacation. But _forever_!" Zo laughed, Leaf laughing as well. "Say, Hilda called a little while ago, right?"

"Oh, yeah! She said she and Hilbert were thinking of coming for a visit, and they're gonna invite Dawn, Paul, Brendan and May," Leaf told them.

"They're not gonna get lost like last time?" Ash asked, Leaf rolling her eyes.

"Don't worry, Hilda's gonna be guiding, not Hilbert," she laughed, Ash breaking into a smile. "It's nice of them to visit. How long's it been?"

"Only a few weeks, Leaf, relax," Ash chuckled, wrapping his arm around the girl's waist.

"Oh, that reminds me! How's little Michael doing?" Zo asked.

"He's doing fine, Zo. He's excited to come visit you again, I think he turned 3 last month or so," Leaf told her, Zo giving a squeal.

"I can't wait! I love that little guy, he's so adorable!" she exclaimed, Ash rolling his eyes.

"Calm down, Zo, you'll have to get him from Paul and Dawn first. You know how much she likes to brag they have a kid," Ash chuckled, Leaf nodding in agreement.

"Okay, how about Ryan then?"

"He's almost 2 now. And you'll have to keep him out of the sand, you know how much Brendan worries about the bugs and May worries about him eating the sand."

"Yeah, I'll keep a close eye on them both," she said, humming to herself happily as she thought of playing with the two children. Ash and Leaf glanced at each other, smiling. "Oh, one more thing," Zo moved away from Ash, reverting to her old Zorua form and climbing up his side. Ash glanced at her in question, surprised as she pecked his cheek. "That's for letting the kids come over again."

"Come on, Zo," Ash said with an expectant look, Zo rolling her eyes as she jumped to the ground, and changed again to her original form. Standing just as tall as Ash with a large bush of hair tied behind her head, Zo held her arms out for a hug. Ash smiled, hugging her and watching Zo revert back to her human girl form.

"You know I don't like that," she said with a glare as she turned and started walking back towards the trees where their home resided.

"I just like the _real_ you, Zo, you know that!" Ash called out, Zo turning around with a smile, poking her tongue out and pulling her eyelid down tauntingly. Smiling, she ran off into the trees. Leaf tapped his chest.

"Don't you think we should tell her now?" she asked, the man giving a chuckle.

"Not _quite_ yet," he chuckled, the brunette laughing as the pair moved their entwined hands and rubbed Leaf's stomach, smiling at each other.

"I'll head back and make sure she doesn't get into trouble, don't be too long, okay?" she asked, the man giving a nod as she pressed her lips against his. With a smile, she parted and headed back to where Zo had gone. Smiling, Ash watched as the sunset was nearing its end, but then noticed something small in the distance. Looking closely, his smile grew wider as he crossed his arms, lightly shaking his head.

"I knew it, Alder..." he said to himself, watching as the small creature came into clear view. Ash looked up into the sky, giving a nod. "It _is_ about time to come back, after all..." he said, holding his arm out for the familiar creature to land on him.

A pidgey with a letter.

**END**

**And there you have it. It's hard to believe this took **_**three and a half years**_**. **_**THREE **_**and a half **_**YEARS**_**. Oh my God, that is a long time. I don't know if that's the ending you guys had been hoping for, and I'm wishing it doesn't upset you too much otherwise, but I had actually gone through many revisions of this chapter and I had gone through more different scenarios than I could count.**

**Alas, that's not a very good reason for taking almost a full year to update, huh? Regardless, I do hope this ending was satisfactory enough for you and you are able to forgive me for such a long hiatus. I started writing fanfics at an earlier age, so I didn't really anticipate how difficult it would be to juggle my stories and my schoolwork at once. But now in my third year of high school, I realize it is a **_**lot harder**_** than I had imagined. That being said, I'm only 16 years old and writing a story like this. So for those of you who doubt yourself in some field, do not give up on it. I encourage you to do what you enjoy, no matter what other people say against it. As long as you can find a nice break between it and your other work, because believe me when I say you will **_**need **_**it.**

**On another note, I quite honestly had a lot of fun with this. Sure, it took a lot longer than I anticipated (and I mean a **_**lot longer**_**), but it was still fun nonetheless. I have had this chapter on my laptop for almost a year now, and with many restarts and revisions, it has finally been completed. But with that, it also means this story unfortunately must come to an end. I do not plan on a sequel or any story connecting to this story as a series. **

**I am in high hopes of beginning another story soon in continuation of my Liberated Champions series. I realize it's also been a long time for that series as well, and I do not know how much longer I will take in planning that story, but I am **_**really**_** hoping to be back online and uploading soon.**

**Lastly, and I cannot stress this enough...I want to thank all of you. Each of you, on your computers or phones reading this story, and who were likely to have been highly anticipating this final chapter. Without the feedback and reviews I got from you as the readers, I don't think I would have had the heart to complete this fanfic. So on a final note, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, enjoyed, or even criticized CRG. Without you, this story wouldn't have lasted half as long as it did.**

**And with that, I, Epsil0nCha0s, am signing off. And with regret, I declare Champion's Revived Glory to have finally come to an end. **


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